Co2ntra

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Home

1. Turn off your TV, DVD or Set Top Box and all other electrical hardware at the plug. Standby mode still uses energy!
2. If your mobile phone or laptop has charged, unplug it! You can save money and your battery lives longer.
3. Turn down the heating by 1 °C, you probably won't notice the difference in heat and you can reduce your homes emission by half tonne of CO2.
4. Wash your clothes on a lower temperature, you will use less energy and they will still get cleaned.
5. Start the washing machine only when it is full.
6. Hang your clothes up or outside to dry instead of using a drying machine.
7. Set up your heating timer and thermostat! If you are not at home you do not need to heat the house fully or even a heat it at all!
8. Change your old windows to double glazed ones.
9. Insulate old windows to keep more heat in and minimize the energy required to maintain the temperature you have set on your thermostat.
10. Keep windows closed in the cold weather, if you too warm take something off!
11. Do not heat unused spaces in your home. Use the valves on the individual heaters to save money and energy usage.
12. Use free cooling from night ventilation.
13. Keep radiators clear of furniture, it reduces their efficiency output.
14. Do not save money on insulating. Initially you will need a higher investment but in the long term you can save a lot on heating bills and reduce your emission.
15. Increase the efficiency of your fridge by moving it to a colder place! Move it away from any heating system or oven.
16. If buying a new fridge or freezer make sure it has an energy efficiency rating of A+.
17. Always close the fridge door properly after you have got what you need from it.
18. De-frost your old freezer regularly.
19. Don’t put your fridge into a closed space, let the air move around it.
20. Don’t put warm food into the fridge, wait until it has cooled down!
21. Replace old light bulbs with energy efficient ones.
22. Clean your light bulbs, dirt reduces the light efficiency and makes you switch more lights on.
23. Only heat the amount of water you intend to use.
24. If boiling water in a pot , cover it. It will boil sooner and use less energy.
    
25. Fit water-saver shower and tap heads.
26. Don’t let the water run all the time when brushing your teeth.
27. Fix dripping taps!
28. Take a quick shower instead of a bath!
29. Take a shower with your boy/girlfriend!
30. If you have a dishwasher, you don’t have to pre-wash you dishes.
31. Do not open the oven door frequently, use its window and oven light to check the food!
32. Recycle everything you can!
33. If you have a baby use environment friendly nappies!
34. If you are watering your garden do it in early morning, it is good for the grass and the flowers need less water!

Travel

1. If Try walking instead of driving to replace one short car journey a week.
2. For short distances, walk or use a bicycle, you will enjoy it!.
3. Share your car! Imagine a future with less cars on the road and less traffic jams.
4. Do not brake the speed limit, You are using 20% more fuel if you drive fast and in reality you don't save much time. It’s safer and cost less.
5. Plan your trip, try to use the shortest way!
6. Stick to the speed limits, avoid from sudden acceleration and braking!
7. Keep your tires properly inflated (just this can save 400-700 pounds of CO2 per year).
   
8. Take off the roof rack if its not in use. It impact’s the aerodynamics and fuel consumption of the vehicle.
9. Keep the windows closed at high speeds!
10. Switch your engine off when you are stopping for more than 2 mins.
11. Travel locally! We are sure there are lot of beautiful places around you.
12. If you buy a new car, choose the most efficient car you can.

Work

1. Unplug your computer and all other electronic hardware when you go home. Standby mode still uses energy!
2. The last person to leave the office should turn the lights off.
3. Use recycled paper!
4. Paper has two sides, use them both when possible. No toilet jokes please!
5. Only print your e-mail only if it is absolutely necessary.
6. Can you work from home? See if you can do it once a week!
   
7. Turn off the air conditioning if its not needed!
8. Recycle everything you can!

Shopping

1. Buy locally if possible. Shipping burns fuel. A 5-pound package shipped by air across the country creates 12 pounds of CO2 (3 ½ pounds if shipped by truck).
2. Buy food locally when it is in season.
3. Only buy enough food for what you are going to eat.
4. Take a shopping bag with you and save on plastic bags.
5. Beware of over packaged goods. Drop the producer an email! Do we really need 3 wrappers on one chocolate?
6. Drink tap water!
7. Use recycle or biodegradable shopping bag!
8. Be a vegetarian on one day a week! To produce 1 kg meat causes much more emission than 1 kg vegetable.
9. Only take the amount of napkins you really need!
10. Buy used goods... they can still serve their purpose.
11. Do not collect flyers!
12. Before you throw away something you no longer need, ask the others if they can find a use for it.
13. Forget the paper bill, ask for the electronic one.
14. Use the online banking.
    
15. Use rechargeable batteries, they cost more, but can be used hundreds of times!
16. Download your software, don't ask for the CD unless you really need it.
17. Try to repair damaged or broken goods instead of replacing them.