Change your lifestyle

Is your carbon footprint too high? What can you do to save energy today?

1) Start thinking about the way you use energy

Almost half of the UK's carbon dioxide emissions come from the things we do every day. Leaving lights on unnecessarily, overfilling the kettle, running a half-full dishwasher, leaving TVs on standby – all these waste energy and result in needless carbon dioxide emissions. By making simple changes to your everyday habits, you can make a big difference.

For details on cheap and simple things you can do now, have a look here.

2) Start thinking about your travel

Do I really need to use the car for that journey, or could I walk? Is it essential to save a couple of hours by taking that flight, or could I take the train? 40 per cent of personal carbon emissions come from travel. To cut back, we need to change the way we do it. With a little reflection, things we think are just facts of life could actually be done more efficiently. For example, why not share car journeys to work instead of going alone?

For some handy tips on easy changes you could make, have a look here

3) Start thinking about your home

a) Appliances: energy used at home is responsible for about a quarter of the UK’s total carbon emissions. Making sure your appliances meet energy saving standards could make a big difference to your carbon footprint. A good plan is look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo, which guarantees that the products you buy meet strict criteria on energy efficiency. You’ll save money in the long run, as they’ll cost less to run, and you’ll help reduce your carbon emissions in the process.

For a good price comparison of energy saving products, see here

b) Heating and lighting: more than 80 per cent of home energy use is for heating and hot water, so getting a more energy efficient boiler can be a very effective way of saving energy. Look out for the energy-saving recommended label to get the best deal. Around half the heat in your house escapes through the walls and roof, so reducing this loss with better insulation can be a very effective strategy too.

Choosing energy-saving light bulbs is one of the easiest ways of cutting your energy use. An energy-saving light bulb can last up to 10 times longer than a non-efficient version. Just one energy-saving bulb could save up to £7 a year. If you fit all the lights in your house with energy-saving bulbs, you could save around £600 over the lifetime of the bulbs.

For a comprehensive review of ways to improve your household energy efficiency, have a look here

c) Waste: in the UK, we produce enough waste to fill the Albert Hall every two hours and most of this ends up in landfill sites. This creates harmful methane emissions, which contribute to climate change. Much of this waste could be recycled: the amount we recycled in the UK last year saved the same amount of carbon as taking 5 million cars off the road. So by recycling more, preventing waste food and composting at home you can do your bit to help reduce this impact.

For some top tips on household waste reduction to help you shrink your carbon footprint, see here

Also, if you want to think about the ways in which you waste water and avoid water crises in the future, why not look here

4) Start thinking about generating your own energy?

Not such a crazy idea, or as difficult as you think. Renewable energy technologies like solar panels, wind turbines, and biomass heaters are becoming increasingly popular, and affordable. Generating your own renewable energy will help you meet you won energy requirements, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and dramatically cut back your carbon footprint. And might even make a bit of money selling energy back to the grid.

To find out more about the state of home energy generation, have a look here