Tips to Reduce your Emissions
Reduce your emissions at home
A quarter of the average household’s carbon footprint comes from the energy we use in our homes. In Redbridge, we know that 56% of the borough’s emissions originate from our buildings and of this 75% arise from our homes. Small changes to the way you use energy and water can make a big difference to the size of your bills and reduce your impact on the environment. Some ideas include;
- Request a smart meter from your energy company so you can keep an eye on your use of energy
- Purchase Green Energy
- Don't leave electrical items like TVs, computers, games consoles and phone chargers on standby
- Buy ‘AA’ or ‘A’ rated energy efficiency products: find out more on the Energy Savings Trust website
- Turn down your central heating thermostat
- Use thick curtains to keep the heat in
- Use draught excluders at the bottom of external doors, on letterboxes or keyholes
- Turn off the lights in a room you’re not using
- Put aluminium foil behind radiators fitted to outside walls, to reflect the heat back into the room
- Have a shower instead of a bath
- Don’t boil more water than you need
- Use a kettle to boil water rather than a pan on the stove
- Keep your fridge and freezer well stocked as they use less energy when they're full
- Let hot food cool down before putting it in the fridge or freezer
- Defrost your freezer regularly to keep it running efficiently
- Only use dishwashers and washing machines with full loads, or use a half load or economy programme
- Wash clothes at the lowest temperature setting possible
- Use tumble dryers as little as possible
- Install a water meter to monitor how much water you use
- Install insulation, double glazing or draught proofing
- Install a more efficient boiler
- Replace lights with low energy bulbs
Reduce your transport emissions
We know that transport is the second largest contributor to emissions accounting for about 28.5% of the borough’s emissions in 2020 with the vast majority of these emissions being from on-road transport with cars, busses and trains across the borough. We can help limit the impact this has on the environment by:
- Walking short journeys, being active is great for your physical health and fitness.
- Cycling across London using bus and cycle lanes. Visit our cycling pages for more information or ask your employer whether they offer a cycle to work scheme.
- Flying less by taking a staycation or travelling by train, ferry or road where possible.
- Shopping locally as although shopping online is convenient, missed deliveries and returns mean more vehicle journeys.
- Carsharing to halve your emissions and fuel bill.
- Driving electric vehicles where other forms of transport are not feasible. Further information on electric vehicles can be found on our webpage.
