There are lots of things you can do to save energy at home, from simple things like turning down your thermostat by 1 degree centigrade, saving water and recycling, to insulating your loft and cavity walls.  By saving energy you'll be reducing your home's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and helping to fight climate change.

Other energy saving measures you can do:

- upgrade your boiler

If your boiler is more than 10 years old then it probably isn't a condensing boiler and won't be as efficient as it should be.

- A rated appliances

When buying new appliances, look for the energy efficient logo, try to buy the most efficient model you can afford.

- Low energy bulbs

Replace ordinary light bulbs for compact fluorescent lamps (energy saving bulbs).  They use around one quarter of the electricity compared to ordinary bulbs.

- Tank jacket

If your immersion or hot water tank is not insulated, you could be wasting three-quarters of the energy you are buying to heat your hot water tank.  Buy one that is at least 75mm thick.  If your existing jacket is less than 75mm thick, consider replacing it or putting another jacket on the top.  Insulating hot water pipes, especially  those between the boiler and the hot water cylinder, can save you even more money.

- Local Produce/Food Miles

Food which is produced here in the UK will still travel hundreds of miles before it’s ready for our consumption. This mass transportation of food makes up around 25% of all heavy Goods vehicle activity on UK roads.

As such, food transport has a huge impact on traffic congestion and road accidents, as well as noise and air pollution. The carbon dioxide emissions from food transport are also negatively linked with climate change.

  What can you do?

The government aims to cut the social and environmental costs of food transport by 20% in the next six years.

Consumers can also play their part in cutting those costs  and cutting food miles. Here’s how:

 - Make use of supermarket deliver-to-your door services or shop with a friend - both ways of sharing the transport.

- Where possible, buy from local producers, village shops and farmers markets.

- If and when you do make a supermarket trip, buy British when the season allows. All produce should be clearly labelled with its country of origin.

- You could even take to growing some produce of your own, in a garden or allotment. 

- Try to purchase less heavily-packaged goods, or use what waste you can for compost, you will also be doing one more good deed for the environment.

Outlets for locally sourced products:

Greenstead Green Farm Shop

Spencers Farm Shop, Wickham St Pauls

Lords Farm Shop, Gosfield

Blackwells Farm Produce, Coggeshall

Baytree Farm, Braintree

The Blue Egg, Great Bardfield

Cressing Park, Braintree

Farmers' Markets

Helions Bumpstead - 3rd Saturday of every month in the Village Hall 10am - 12 noon.

Witham - 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month.

River Nene Organic Vegetables 01206 230769

 

- Green Tariff

When you choose a green tariff, your supplier is obliged to source for you an amount equal to some, or all of the electricity you consume, from existing renewable energy sources (such as a wind farm).  Electricity is supplied to your home in exactly the same way - it is a matter for the energy company to buy the same amount to match your energy consumption (and that of all their green electricity customers) from a green energy source.  

- Holiday in the UK

Did you know that the number of passengers at UK airports has risen from just 4 million back in 1954 to 228 million in 2005?

The UK has some of the most beautiful scenery on earth, which is part of the reason why millions of people across the globe holiday here each year.  But, being British, it can be easy to take this for granted and overlook some of the wonderful tourist destinations this land has to offer.

- Walk, Cycle and use Public Transport

Wherever possible, not only will you improve your health but you will also lessen your impact on the environment.

- Borrow an electricity monitor

These are available for hire free of charge from your local library.  It shows how much electricity  you are using in your home.  The data is shown in power/pounds and pence.  

If you are in receipt of certain benefits or aged 70 or over you may be eligible to receive a monitor free of charge, please contact the Climate Change Team for further information.