20 ways to Reduce your Carbon Footprint

1 Walk or cycle instead of driving for short journeys – it costs nothing and is good for you.

2 Turn your heating down to a comfortable 20ºC – lowering your thermostat by 1ºC will knock 10 per cent off your heating bill.

3Buy ‘A' rated kitchen appliances(energy efficient) - they cost less to run and over time will give you considerable savings on your electricity bill.

4 Don't overfill your kettle - boil only as much water as you need.

5 Use compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) instead of traditional bulbs – they use 20 per cent of the energy and last up to 15 times as long.

6 Unplug your phone charger - equipment on stand-by uses up to 20 per cent of the energy it would use when fully on.

7 Switch off lights and heating in the office when they're not in use, and particularly in meeting rooms and unoccupied service areas.

8 Configure your computer to “energy saving” mode. Switch off the screen and you can save even more than just letting the screensaver or ‘sleep' mode run. Always ensure that all other office equipment such as printers, scanners and photocopiers are fully switched off as well.

9 Turning your computer off at night instead of leaving it on will save on average 25 per cent of its annual energy bill. Turn off your computer whenever you are not going to use it for more than an hour. And remember that all of this applies to your home computer too.

10 When you drive, shift into a higher gear as soon as possible. For petrol cars, shift up in gear before 2,500 revolutions per minute (rpm) and for diesel cars before 2,000 rpm.

11 Avoid using a personal heater in your work space – it's much better to get the general heating system working efficiently so that you are comfortable at work. Speak to your employer if there is a problem.

12 Open shades or blinds on a cold sunny day to reduce the burden on the heating system. On the other hand use those blinds to help retain the heat when it's not so bright outside.

13Keep tyres inflated to the correct pressure – it will lengthen their life and make your car safer while reducing fuel consumption.

14 Car pool with colleagues if possible – even one journey a week that's shared will save energy and money. One round trip a month would save approximately 5 per cent, one round trip a week saves approximately 20 per cent.

15 When buying a car choose one that meets your requirements but that uses less fuel.