What you can do

Climate change

Climate change

Every one of us uses energy in the form of electricity, gas or oil - whether it’s for heating or lighting our homes or operating electrical products such as TV’s, laptops and kettles. Using this energy contributes to greenhouse gas emissions that most scientists agree are causing climate change.

Here are some handy tips to help you reduce your energy consumption, cut greenhouse gas emissions and also save money on your bills!

Switch it off

• Turn off the light if you’re leaving the room for more than 15 minutes – it saves you money!
• Use a remote controlled energy-saving socket to switch off without getting up or bending down!
• Switch your TV off – ‘stand by’ wastes energy
• Unplug power chargers when you’re not using them
• Turn your heating off in summer

Turn it down

• Buy an OWL energy monitor to see you how much electricity you’re using and how much it’s costing – there’s no better way to become energy aware
• Turn your heating down or off if you open a window for fresh air
• Keep internal doors open to let warm air circulate around your home
• Fit a thermostat to your radiators so you can choose the right temperature for every room

Insulate it

• Insulate your boiler pipes
• Fit a cylinder jacket on your boiler and save energy
• Fit draft excluders on your loft hatch to keep heat in
• Fit cavity wall insulation if you can
• Seal the cracks in floorboards, skirting boards and bath panels to keep heat in
• Line your curtains to keep in the heat

Save electricity

• Defrost your freezer when there is more than 6mm of ice inside it. Any thicker and the freezer won't work as effectively.
• Microwave for a change – it uses 50% less energy than a standard oven
• Use LED fairy lights to get in the mood and save energy too – but turn them off when you leave the room
• Fit energy efficient light bulbs – they’re 80% cheaper and last longer than standard ones
• Replace old appliances with energy saving alternatives

Cut down on shopping trips

• Do a ‘big shop’ to save fuel costs and your time
• Make sure the product you want is waiting for you at your local store – use Argos ‘Check and Reserve’and Homebase ‘Reserve and Collect’

Water

Water

There’s a lot of it around, but not enough to drink – over a billion people cannot get clean water and over two billion people have inadequate sanitation. Climate change is likely to make matters worse – either too little available or more floods and damage. Using water is likely to become more expensive.

Here are some handy tips to help you reduce your water consumption, and if you have a water meter you can save money on your bills as well! save water

Save water

• Use a washing bowl to wash your crocks
• Put the plug in when you wash or brush your teeth
• Rinse hand washed dishes in cold water to save on heating costs
• Don’t overfill your bath
• Fit a water butt to collect winter rain to water the garden in summer
• Fix those dripping taps
• Wash your vegetables in a strainer – it could save 150 gallons of water a month

Waste

Waste

If everyone consumed as many natural resources as we do in the UK then it has been estimated that we would need three "planet earths" to support us! So helping to conserve resources by "reducing, re-using and recycling" will help future generations to continue to enjoy the benefits of our planet.

Here are some handy tips to help you "reduce, reuse and recycle"!

Re-use plastic

• Save your old plastic bags to use again or switch to friendly fabric ones
• Save tonight’s supper for tomorrow’s lunch in plastic storage containers
• Refill and re-use plastic drinks bottles
• Keep drinks hot or cold in a thermos
• Buy a duvet made of recycled plastic bottles

Repair your clothes buttons

• Make do and mend with a sewing machine

Brew your own

• Brew fresh coffee at home then use the grounds to fertilise your garden
• Filter your own tap water and save the cost of bottles

Make your own compost 

• Turn kitchen waste into compost with a handy composter

Grow your own grow a plant

• Find out how to grow your own vegetables – no matter how big or small your garden is
• Grow herbs on the window sill and save money at the supermarket

Stop disposing and start reusing

Cut your waste and your bills by reusing

• China cups
• Razors
• Pens
• Plates
• Rechargeable batteries
• Fabric tea towels

Print on both sides printer

• Make your paper go twice as far by printing on both sides

Recycle with us

Don’t waste your waste – ask us how to recycle your

• Old catalogues
• Batteries
• Mobile phones
• Clothes
• Books
• Printer Ink cartridges
• Furniture
• Large electric goods you bought from us
• Got the recycling bug – why not buy a set of indoor recycling bins to sort your waste?

Choose sustainable wood

• Choose FSC timber for home improvements
• By a sustainable FSC patio set or timber shed

Helping hands

Helping hands

All charities, whether national or local, are finding it difficult to raise funds in these challenging economic times. Help us to help them by making a difference:

• ‘Tick to give’ some of the money you spend with us to charity
• Donate your old clothes and books to charity at our selected stores 
• Help us raise money for our BIG donation 
• Support a charity by recycling your mobile phones and ink jet cartridges