Advice to Individuals

• For info about the upcoming Richmondshire Eco Week: 16th - 25th March 2012.

Measure your Carbon Footprint

The information below can only ever be a snapshot of ideas but are just to get you started. The Energy Saving Trust also have loads of information, listing easy ways to stop wasting energy - including their own carbon calculator - a Home Energy Check, energy saving tips, information about how to reduce water use and waste. The Direct.gov greener living pages have lots more information and advice.

An easy way to cut your personal individual emissions is to start with the small but most frequent things - these are often things that you don't currently "enjoy" such as commuting to work.  They may not individually have large emissions, but because you repeat them daily they will add up to your biggest emissions (bar flying) over a year. These actions will also save you money and you'll see that it's no more difficult than your current daily life.

For more ideas of how you can easily cut your carbon emissions by 10% , look at the information about the 10:10 campaign - an achievable aim for most people - including a  breakdown of how much carbon, on average each action will save.

Improve Your Home's Energy Efficiency

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There is currently an offer for FREE cavity wall and loft insulation not only for most people who live in their own home - call 0800 512012 - but also for private landlords, so call Mark Robson on 01748 827021 if you are a landlord, or a private tenant who would like to encourage your landlord to apply.

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• Using low energy lighting can reduce the amount of energy used in lighting your home by 50% to 75%. Best of all, low-energy light bulbs last up to 12 times longer than ordinary bulbs and save you money. There are now LED bulbs available which use even less energy and look closer in tone to daylight.

Reduce your Household Waste

• Reduce Use - the best way to reduce energy & resource use is not to use it in the first place. The same is true for shopping: buy only what you need, especially as wasting food costs the average family £50 a month and has serious environmental implications too. For ideas of how to cut food waste see Love Food Hate Waste.
• Compost household and garden waste - York & North Yorkshire Waste Partnership are working with Get Composting to offer subsidised compost bins and food waste digesters for residents to purchase. They also offer agreed price water butts, which will allow you to use free rain water to reduce the cost of your water consumption.  For more information, see our Home Composting page.
• Recycle and reuse items to reduce household waste. Use online groups like Freecycle and Freegle to swap things you no longer need (for free) for other things you need. For more information about recycling services and facilities in Richmondshire see our Refuse and Recycling pages. 
• Help local charities and community groups as many will look to raise money through recycling and re-using many items including mobile phones, furniture, books and toner cartridges.

Using Household Appliances

• Get an energy monitor from your electricity company. Many give these out for free, and it will help you know how much you are using - and spending - instantly so you know where to start to cut your energy use.
• Switch off appliances - TV sets and other appliances on standby still use nearly 20% of the energy they require for full operation.  Switch everything off and save yourself around £37 each year.
• Dry your clothes outside - hanging your clothes outside rather than using the tumble dryer will reduce your CO₂ emissions. They will dry quickly and smell fresh too.
• Choose more energy efficient appliances:
  • A laptop on average uses 30% less power than a desktop computer.
  • Buy a low-flow adaptor for your shower head, and have quick showers instead of baths - however, power showers can use much more water than a bath.
  • Choose A-rated household appliances, particularly fridges and freezers which are always on - well insulated models will rarely have to turn the pump on (until you open the door, so do that infrequently & quickly!)
  • Invest in an A-rated dishwasher, as a well-filled load is more efficient than many bowls of hot water to wash dishes.
• Use water wisely:
  • Only run the washing machine when it's full - a full load uses less water and much less electricity than two half loads.
  • Only boil as much water as you need in your kettle and you could save up to £30 per year.
  • Don't leave water running while shaving, cleaning teeth or washing dishes, as a running tap uses 10-14 litres of water per minute.

For more top water saving tips, see our Water Footprint page.

On the Road

See our separate page on Greener Travel Planning for how to save money by learning fuel efficient driving techniques, lift sharing, buying a new fuel efficient car, and taking public transport - it is sometimes most cost effective to do so, as fuel prices go ever higher!

Good luck with your energy saving, we hope it also saves you a significant amout of money!

Greener Living Guide from the Green Neighbourhood Challenge

Energy Saving Trust

Contact the Energy Efficiency Advice Centre on 0800 512012 to identify how you could save energy and money in your home, information on grants, insulation, renewable energy technologies, and contact details for local contractors.

Yorkshire Energy Partnership - the not-for-profit company who run the EST advice centre in this area.

For any further information and advice, please contact Bryony Wilford, the Sustainable Development Officer on sustainable.development@richmondshire.gov.uk or 01609 767160.