Advice Page: change your lifestyle!
Home & Energy Consumption
- Turn off taps- running a tap whilst brushing your teeth can use unnecessary amounts of water resources.
- Install a dual flush toilet system, or put a brick in the current one, this will reduce water consumption.
- Use energy efficient boilers, or make sure current boiler is serviced regularly.
- Purchase energy efficient appliances- many are now labelled as such.
- Switch off lights when not in use and install low voltage light bulbs.
- Efficiently insulate your home/place of work.
- Completely switch off electrical appliances when not in use, even on standby they consume energy.
- If possible, install solar (photovoltaic) panels and wind turbines. High street suppliers are now making these more affordable and accessible.
- Where available, switch to a green energy supplier.
Directory - Home section
Food consumption
- Try to buy and eat organic food, this is becoming more available at farmers markets.
- Buy more 'Fair Trade' food, produced sustainably.
- Where possible grow your own food, and eat seasonal food.
- Locally grown food has less transport related emissions and is fresher.
- Avoid packaged veg and fruit from far off countries; these are embedded with air freight related emissions.
- Use supermarket delivery services, available online- less transport emissions, or order veg from sustainable delivery schemes.
- Eat less meat- meat production is an energy intensive process, (more CO2 emissions!). More fruit and veg offer a healthy alternative.
- Only boil water you need for hot drinks and cover pans when cooking- resulting in less energy consumption.
- Compost your raw veg waste.
Directory - Food and consumer goods
Transport
- Only use cars for essential journeys and make sure they are regularly serviced to run efficiently.
- Convert your vehicle to use LPG (Cheaper than petrol!)
- If you have a diesel vehicle, use Bio diesel.
- Become a member of or set up a 'car pool'.
- When buying new, buy energy efficient (or even better), vehicles with Hybrid or Electric technology.
- Use green or 'carbon neutral' taxis. Some Black Taxis are in fact ‘carbon neutral’.
- Use public transport more often. Electric Trams and Fuel cell buses have low carbon outputs.
- Cycle more- a healthy alternative! - Easy to park also!
- Walk, another healthy alternative.
- Reduce your air miles- use the channel tunnel or go by ferry to Europe. Try to avoid flying to exotic locations, or choose more 'Eco-friendly' resorts.
Directory - Transport and travel
Waste and Resource use
- Recycle and correctly dispose of waste to reduce landfill and resulting CO2 and Methane emissions.
- Following the correct recycling procedures may also reduce council tax.
- Buy consumer goods with less packaging, resulting in less waste.
- When shopping use a reusable shopping bag.
Directory - Waste and recycling
Financial Services
A number of environmentally and ethically orientated financial services are now available.
These could contribute to a carbon neutral lifestyle.
- Ethical Investment portfolio companies provide a range of environmentally, socially and ethically responsible investments.
- Green Mortgage & Insurance companies or brokers offer services from a sustainable or ethical perspective.
Directory - Finance