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Do your bit
You can make a real difference by just changing a few things you do by habit. If we all make small changes, our negative impact on the environment can be substantially reduced.
Recycle
Find out about Council recycling initiatives and recycle everything you can.
Turn down the heat
Turn your thermostat down by 2 degrees and you'll cut 10% off your heating bill.
Switch off your TV
Your television only uses 20% less energy when it is on standby compared with when it is switched on, so always turn it off at the switch when you are not watching it.
Keep it cool
Make sure your fridge and freezer run efficiently by defrosting regularly and setting them to the right temperature.
Buy only A-rated white goods and appliances
These consume less energy, which will lower your household bills.
Replace light bulbs
Replace standard light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs they last much longer, and use much less energy, saving you money.
Turn off lights
Don't leave lights on in un-occupied rooms.
Defrost food in the fridge overnight
Defrosting food in the fridge overnight reduces the electricity consumption of the fridge.
Change to a ‘green’ supplier
Find out about changing your electricity supplier to one which supplies energy from renewable sources.
Take a shower instead of a bath
A daily bath uses 16, 425 litres more water a year than a shower.
Put a water saving device in your toilet
Your toilet is one of the most water hungry devices in your house. There are a variety of products you can fit in your toilet to reduce the amount of water used when you flush.
Turn the tap off when you brush your teeth
You can do your bit by reducing the amount of water you use each day. One way of doing this is to make sure you don’t leave the tap running while you are brushing your teeth.
Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones
Using rechargeable batteries means you create less waste and you can also recycle rechargeable batteries at the end of their life.
Use a reusable bag when shopping, rather than plastic carriers
Landfill space is limited and will eventually run out if we continue to increase the amount of rubbish we produce. Although there are alternative ways of disposing of rubbish, the best option is to produce less in the first place.
Air your washing in public - not in the tumble dryer
You can save a lot of energy by avoiding using the tumble dryer. If it’s a sunny, breezy day, hang your washing outside. If it’s wet out, spin dry or wring out your clothes before you put them in the dryer. Not only will you help save the environment, you’ll also cut down on your next electricity bill.
Boil only the water you need, rather than filling the whole kettle
Switch off electrical items and lights when you don’t need them, and don’t boil a full kettle of water when you only want one cup of tea.
Share car journeys, cycle or replace car journeys with public transport at least once a week
The average car commuter drives 19 miles a day. Cutting that by half through car sharing would save 648kg of carbon dioxide over one year.
Green Links
You can make promise to make a difference as part of World Environment Day link to http://www.lovelondon.org.uk/promise
You can also get more information on greener lifestyles at:
www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Greenerlivingaquickguide/DG_064391
Advice on what you can recycle and how to live a greener lifestyle.
For advice on how to make your home more energy efficient.
Provide impartial information and advice and have a network of advice centres in the UK specifically designed to help people take action to reduce CO2 emissions.
http://actonco2.direct.gov.uk/index.html
Fun to use and inciteful - calculate your household carbon footprint.