LOW CARBON LIVING

At Home

Heating conservation
Draughts waste a lot of energy by losing heat. One quick and relatively
cheap win is to put a brush or seal on your doors to prevent air escaping round the edges. Letterboxes and keyholes also lose heat and can be covered too. Gaps in floorboards and skirting boards also let in draughts; you can fill in these gaps with newspaper, beading or sealant.
In winter close your curtains at night to stop heat escaping.
Make sure your loft has loads of insulation. It's one of the cheapest and easiest ways to save energy and will pay for itself in hardly any time.
Consider insulating your cavity walls.
You can reduce 50% of your heat loss buy installing double glazing which in turn could cut your heating bill up to £90 a year. Make sure they are properly installed though, as gaps around the outside will lose heat.
Turn the heating thermostat down by 1°C and wear another layer of clothes instead.
Keep furniture clear of radiators and don't cover them with clothes, for example.
Make the most out of the rooms that receive natural sunlight, make them your living spaces if possible. In winter, make the most out of this free heat by opening the curtains and open the doors between rooms to let the warm air circulate.
At night and especially in winter and on windows receiving no sun, insulate your windows with thick curtains or, even better, shutters.

Electricity conservation
Switch to a renewable electricity supplier Buy A-rated electrical appliances.
Switch to energy saving light bulbs, when your old bulbs break. They last around 10 times longer than ordinary light bulbs; they will save you money and come in loads of different styles.
Switch appliances off when not in use such as lights, radio, TV, computers, etc.
Switch off at the plug any appliances that have a stand-by light such as TVs, videos, DVD, PC screen, etc and unplug any chargers.
Fill the kettle with just the necessary amount of water.
Keep your appliances maintained to make sure they perform properly. For example defrost the freezer regularly, check the seals, bleed your radiators, de-scale the kettle, etc.
Keep the doors of the fridge and freezer opened for the strictly necessary amount of time and don't put hot/warm food in them. Put the freezer in a cooler place such as the garage if possible.
Use the right size/type of pots and pans when cooking and use lids.
Use pressure-cookers, steamers and microwaves, which use less energy than a conventional oven.
Fill up your washing machine/dishwasher before turning it on, and make sure the lowest setting is selected for the wash.
Dry clothes outside or use a clothes horse

Water savings
Make sure your hot water tank is insulated with a thick jacket. It will save you lots of money not to mention reducing emissions.
A dripping tap can be not only annoying but if it is a hot tap it can cost you in both water costs and water heating costs. Remember, water also has a carbon footprint associated with it from processing.
Always use the correct size saucepan, and when heating water only use the amount you need.
When making a cup of tea, only boil the amount of water that you need.
Turn off the tap while cleaning your teeth.
If your toilet cistern holds more than 6 litres of water (likely if it was installed before 2001) put a Hippo Water Saving device in it.
Have a shower instead of a bath, which uses far less energy and water.

Food and the fridge
The location of your fridge can make a difference in how energy efficient it is. Make sure it is out of direct sunlight and not close to the oven.
Keeping it against an outside wall will help the heat it generates escape easily, and always make sure that there is a few inches' space all around the fridge so that air can circulate.
Make sure you defrost your fridge and freezer on a regular basis.
Only set your fridge to as cold as you need it and avoid keeping the door open for long periods of time as the more cold air that escapes, the harder the fridge has to work. You should check the seal regularly as well, if it is damaged then cold air will be escaping.
You should never put warm or hot food into the fridge as this will make the fridge work extra hard to try and keep it cold; always allow food to cool down first.
Defrost frozen food in the fridge as this helps to keep it cool as it thaws.

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Driving
Cars are generally very energy inefficient and travelling by train, bus or bike is much better for the planet. If you can't manage without a car, changing your driving habits can help reduce its greenhouse emissions.

• Plan your journeys to avoid congestion, road works and getting lost.
• Drive away immediately when starting from cold - idling to heat the engine wastes fuel and causes rapid engine wear.
• Check your revs - change up before 2,500rpm (petrol) and 2,000rpm (diesel).
• Check your tyre pressures regularly - under-inflated tyres are dangerous and can increase fuel consumption by up to 3%.
• If you're stuck in a jam, switch the engine off if you expect to be there for more than a minute or two. Cutting the engine will save fuel and reduce emissions.
  
• Use air conditioning sparingly as it significantly increases fuel consumption.
  
• Accessories such as roof racks, bike carriers, and roof boxes significantly affect your car's aerodynamics and reduce fuel efficiency, so remember to remove them when not in use.
  
• Get your car serviced regularly to keep it running efficiently.
  Try car sharing as much as you can or use public transport.

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Flying
We realise that sometimes people have no choice but to fly but the best thing for the planet is if you don't fly at all, the resulting emissions can often represent the biggest chunk of your carbon footprint. Many short haul flights can be replaced by other forms of public transport such as trains or buses. In the meantime, if you have to fly you can offset your flight using
our flight calculator.
If you are feeling adventurous and have the time there are many options for travelling long haul without flying.There are many websites available offering advice on how to travel all over the world without flying.
When you have to fly, always consider if you can combine trips.
It's best to fly direct rather than stopping over, aeroplanes use a lot of fuel taking off and landing.

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At the Office
A lot of the things you can do are the same as you would do in your home, but if you are feeling adventurous, you can always have a go at persuading your boss to go green as well! Why not point them in the direction of our business calculator?

• Only use the lights you need. Turn off lights in unused rooms. Better still; get your building to install occupancy sensors.
• Turn off your computer monitor when you leave the office at the end of the day.
• Do you really need those hard copies, or can you save it on your computer instead?
• Print double-sided.
• Open up - if you have windows you can open, use them to intelligently save energy.
• Can you share a lift to get to work?
• Perhaps see if you can teleconference and work from home occasionally.

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