feature: Power in your hands
5 February 2008
Like charity, tackling climate change begins at home. We look at simple ways you can save both energy and money over the coming months.
Each year Haringey produces around 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions – the equivalent of every resident flying to and from New York five times.
Studies show that around half of these emissions come directly from people’s homes.
In its drive to tackle climate change, Haringey Council has pledged to work with the government to help cut carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050.
But this will be impossible to achieve without the help of everyone who lives in Haringey.
Over recent months the council has launched a range of initiatives to tackle climate change.
These include using green energy for all its street lights and council buildings, introducing new parking charges based on vehicles’ carbon emissions, and new planning polices requiring all major development proposals to include plans for at least 10 per cent renewable energy.
Now Haringey is calling on residents to help make a difference by taking simple energy efficiency measures at home. These may not seem a lot, but they can make a big difference to the environment if thousands of people adopt them – and they will save you money on your energy bills.
They include:
- Turning down your central heating thermostat by just one degree
- Turning off lights when you leave a room
- Making sure you don’t overfill your kettle
- Using the washing machine only when you have a full load and washing at 40 degrees or lower when possible.
Another step you can take is insulating your home to reduce the amount of heat that escapes from your home. You might also consider draught-proofing your windows and insulating your hot water cylinder and pipes.
Director for Urban Environment Niall Bolger said:
“There are many easy ways to make a big difference. We want to make sure residents are aware of the simple ways in which they can not only save energy and help us combat climate change, but also save money on energy bills.”
You can learn more about energy efficiency by calling your local Energy Advice Centre on 0800 512 012, visiting our energy efficiency webpage, or you can carry out a home energy check by visiting www.est.org.uk (external link).
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