With this summer set to be the warmest on record in years, it serves as a reminder to us all that we should be playing our part in helping to reduce carbon emissions. UK heating bills have risen to an all-time high, and the plant in need of a detox, there is no better time to start think of ways which you can reduce your carbon emissions.
Top Tips for the Home:
- Insulate – did you know that more than 40% of all heat lost in a home is through loft space and walls? If you don’t insulate your home properly then not only will your heating bills be soaring, but you will also be increasing your carbon footprint. If you are tight on money don’t panic, they are some government schemes which may be available, to help you affordably insulate your home. Try and look for local insulators buy searching online for ‘cavity wall and loft insulation Birmingham’, or wherever you are located.
- Exclude draughts – up to 15% of all heat loss in your home can occur through draughts around the doors and windows of your home? They are inexpensive to buy and can save you up to £20 per year.
- Try and remember to switch off any appliances rather than leave them on standby, this costs the UK around £800 million a year.
- If it is a nice day, why not hang the clothes out on the line rather than using the tumble dryer?
- When you are out or on a particularly hot day remember to close the curtains to prevent heat loss through windows.
- Switch to energy saving light bulbs.
- Fit an insulating jacket to your hot water tank – if every UK household that could fitted an adequate tank-jacket tomorrow, it would save over £132 million of energy every year.
Top Tips for the Car:
Car travel accounts for more C02 emissions than any other form of transport in the UK, it’s astonishing how many of us drive to work unnecessarily. Try and implement some of these handy tips:
- Try and make fewer car journeys, why not walk or cycle, especially in the summer months?
If you follow smarter driving tips you can potentially cut emissions by 8%, are you following these simple tips?
- Your tyres are pumped up
- There isn’t any unnecessary weight being carried in the car
- The car has been serviced regularly
- Stick to the speed limit, by staying within the 70 mph limit you can save up to 10% off your fuel bill in comparison to those who drive at 80 mph.
- Speed up and slow down smoothly, too reduce excess revving.
- Avoid leaving your engine running
- Use air conditioning at speeds up 50 mph because the drag created by an open window causes the car to be less efficient, however, any speed below that it is much more efficient to open a window.
Top Tips for Shopping:
- Try not to buy cheap, disposable clothing, as it uses much more energy to make a tonne of clothing than it does to make a tonne of steel.
- The average UK citizen generates 3.3 tonnes of electrical waste within their lifetime. If you can, then it’s a great idea to keep your phone after the contract has ended for an extra year or two to prolong the life of your mobile.
- Think about solar-powered or energy efficient gadgets, this means you can throw out the batteries!
Top Tips for Food Buying:
Producing, transporting and consuming food is responsible for nearly a third of all individuals’ contribution to climate change. Try and buy season fruit and veg that has not been transported from abroad. Home composting piles diverts waste away from landfill sites, saving on climate change emissions, not to mention the cheap compost for the garden!
