Action on Climate Change: Quick Guide

Examples of what Wealden District Council is doing

Providing kerbside recycling through CROWN (Compost and Recycle Our Waste Now) in much of Wealden, now 30% of collected household waste is recycled.
Recycling ourselves, council staff are provided with paper recycling bins to encourage recycling, with fewer communal rubbish bins to discourage waste.
Using 100% renewable hydroelectric energy in council offices.
Using a green procurement guide to make eco-friendly decisions when purchasing.
Using press taps in council buildings which save water and lower water heating costs.

What you can do

Turning your thermostat down by 1ºC could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent and save you around £40 per year.
Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat shouldn't need to be set higher than 60ºC/140ºF.
Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.
Don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave appliances on charge unnecessarily. Look at how else you can save electricty such as turning off lights when leaving a room.
If you're not filling up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher, use the half-load or economy programme.
Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you're using an electric kettle).
A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they're fully turned off!
Replace your light bulbs with energy saving recommended ones just one can reduce your lighting costs by up to £100 over the lifetime of the bulb - and they last up to 12 times longer than ordinary light bulbs. EST search for energy efficent products
Buy food from local farmers markets, or use an organic vegetable box scheme. This helps to reduce your 'food miles' and the associated carbon dioxide, as well as helping the local economy.
Where possible avoid flights, especially for shorter distances - use trains if possible. If you do need to fly consider offsetting your flight see CO2 Balance.

Wealden can give free impartial advice on how to reduce fuel bills and protecting the environment at the same time, call our Energy Efficiency Hotline on 01323 443321 (office hours) or email privatehousing@wealden.gov.uk We also provide information on grants.

Many tips sourced from the Energy Savings Trust