Tips for reducing personal CO2 emissions
Most of these tips are really easy to do and obvious - all it takes is a slight change in the way you think about energy, and the rest will fall into place...
Things you can do for free, zilch, nada, zero:
- Turn off unused lights and electrical equipment. Get into the habit and it will save you money too!
- Switch your electricity to a green tariff. They compare price wise with non-green tariffs - some are even cheaper. Some are more marketing ploys than genuinely green, but still better that nothing- there is some good info here. EEK! recommends ecotricity - as well as providing green electricity, they plough much more money into new facilities than other green suppliers...
- Only fill you kettle with amount of water you need for your drink. Takes less time when you're gasping for a cuppa, and saves money - no brainer.
- Have a shower instead of a bath. They use less water when you just want to get clean. Save that deep luxurious bath for when you've got time to relax and really enjoy it...
- When cooking food on the hob, use a lid on the pan. Less heat is lost into the air, so less energy is required to cook.
- Only heat the areas you use. If you have the luxury of a large abode, no point in heating the ballroom, if you ain't having a ball - know what I mean?
- Make use of your local councils recycling scheme.
- If you can, use a compost bin for kitchen and garden waste. Basically - anything you can do to reduce your rubbish output will help.
- Use the car less. Easier than it sounds - get/give lifts, walk or cycle when you can (get fitter too), use public transport more. Even a slight shift in usage will make a real difference.
- Register with the Mail Preference Service. You'll receive less junk mail - not only saving trees, but saving your doormat too! This is REALLY easy to do and literally takes one minute - DO IT RIGHT NOW: www.mpsonline.org.uk
- Buy locally produced goods whenever possible. Reduces the impact of transport, and contributes to the local economy, making your area a nicer place to live!
Things you can do for some initial outlay, but will ultimately save you money:
- Change to energy saving light bulbs. Only really essential for rooms you leave lit for more than a couple of minutes, but they use about 1/4 of the energy for the same light output. Prices vary considerably - currently in the UK, Woolworth's seem to be the cheapest on the high street.
- Insulate your home properly. There are grants available from the UK governments's Energy Savings Trust , and utilities companies such as British Gas offer their own incentives. The savings on your utilities bills will be quite substantial, and the cost should be recovered within a few years - then it's plain saving all the way.
- Fit Solar water heating panels.
Things to consider when you are purchasing/ renewing products:
- Don't take too many foreign holidays. Jet travel is one of the worst offenders for CO2 emission. And is that foreign holiday all it's cracked up to be? Hours of cramped traveling, food that upsets you're stomach, hotels that are 10th as comfy as your home, locals who are only interested in your cash, and then you spend your whole time with fellow countrymen anyway... Sample the delights of your own country more often instead.
- When buying appliances, make energy efficiency the highest priority. Most appliances have an energy rating - Using appliances with the highest rating will make a real difference.
- How is the product made/packaged? Try buy products that are not over packaged, and are made from recycled or sustainable material.
- Buy economical cars with low CO2 emissions and consider LPG fueled models. Grants are available from the UK government's EST.
- Avoid 'Gear Lust'! Tough for shopoholics, but try to ask yourself whether you really need the latest gadget/phone/object of desire etc. More likely you're just falling for the marketing hype - It ultimately means another item is ending up on the rubbish tip. Try to buy quality functional items that will last for years.
If everone who views this page does just one of the above, collectively, the impact will be hugely benificial. Imagine if we all did all of them!