Act on CO2 at Home In the UK 27% of the carbon emitted is from our homes. It is very very difficult to make a home carbon neutral – but we can all do a few things to help bring down that percentage.

There are many small ways that the precious heat you pay for can be kept in the house so it is warmer and may enable you to reduce the amount of heat you need which means - Yeah - a reduction in CO2. Below are some ways to achieve this:

• Try turning your heating thermostat down by 1°C - it will save about £10 a year and reduce CO2

• Keep furniture away from radiators, if possible: the foam in an upholstered chair is a very effective heat insulator! 

• The sun is the most readily available source of heat there is - and the cheapest! So make the most of it by opening internal doors of any rooms which get more sun than others and let the warm air travel through your home

• Draw the curtains at night to keep the warm in and the cold out

• Put a curtain across external doors that aren't double glazed. It is amazing the amount of heat lost through the letter box!

• If you have an open fire - consider placing a chimney balloon in the hole when the fire is out of use. This is especially good for chimneys in the bedroom that are very rarely used

• Purchase a draft excluder for the gaps in doors

• Check the insulation in your walls and roof - more than half the heat lost in a typical home escapes by one of these routes

• Double glazing can cut heat loss through the windows by half

• Insulate your hot-water tank

• Lag your pipes in the airing cupboard and the loft

• Put draught-proofing strips round windows and doors

• If your home has a cellar space, under-floor insulation can help keep the warmth in