Going green can be as simple as turning off the tap while cleaning your teeth. A lot of people taking little steps makes a lot more difference than one person doing everything.
We have some no cost, low cost and investment ideas to help us all do our environmentally-friendly bit - and many of them will help us save money too
No cost
Involves time and thought, but not money.
1. Put a plate on top of a bowl of leftover food to cover it, rather than cling film. Or put leftover food in a container with a lid, such as a jam jar.
2. Old towels, sheets or t-shirts, even socks, work just as well as paper towels to mop up spills etc. Yes, they will need to be washed, but the production of paper towels involves energy, usually bleach and chlorine, transportation and so on.
3. Try to avoid leftover food ending up in the bin. Menu plan so you only buy what you need, cook only what you will eat, and try to remember the half tin of baked beans and half a lettuce lurking at the back of the fridge so it gets added to another dish.
4. Take your own shopping bags rather than buying a plastic one.
5. Use up what you have - rather than buying a new shampoo and leaving the original quarter-full bottle in the shower until you bin it, try to finish all your lotions and potions before opening a fresh one.
Even when a tube or bottle seems empty, cut the end off and there's probably some product left inside.
6. Make an effort with your recycling, check packaging labels and sort it properly, removing those elements which cannot be recycled.
7. Clean mirrors with a spray of water and rub dry with scrunched-up newspaper for a streak-free shine.
8. Swap clothes with friends. Let friends know you're happy to receive hand-me-downs and offer yours too.
9. Wrap presents in tea towels, cloth or sheets. You could even wrap a family member's gift in an item of their own clothing.
10. Walk, cycle or lift share whenever possible.
11. Fill a watering can with the water that pours out while waiting for tap water to heat up.
12. Planning parties and events? Ask friends and family if you can borrow cups, plates and cutlery rather than buying disposables.
13. Rather than buying compostable bags which take energy to be produced, use newspaper to line your kitchen compost bin.
14. Use plastic bread bags or the bags inside cereal boxes instead of buying sandwich bags.
15. Use junk mail/old paper as scrap paper, and birthday and Christmas cards are easily cut up into gift tags.
16. Only put the water you need into the kettle. Pour excess boiled water into a vacuum flask to start the kettle off next time.
17. Quit fast fashion. Unsubscribing from marketing emails may help avoid the shopping temptation.
18. Turn off the shower while you soap your hair and body.
19. Carry your own water bottle and use the free Refill app which lists businesses where you can fill up your own bottle or flask, even if you're not a customer.
20. Go paperless with bills, receipts and bank statements.
21. Ask your older relatives for tips. Very often habits from when they were young are green and planet friendly, particularly those who remember the mass power cuts of the early 1970s.
22. Stop junk mail by signing up to the Mailing Preference Service register at www.mpsonline.org.uk
23. You could save more than a ton of CO2 per year by driving at or below the speed limit, accelerating smoothly and maintaining a steady speed.
24. Stop buying stuff you don’t need.
25. Switch lights off as you leave a room, turn electrical items off at the wall rather than leaving on standby.
26. Change to an ethical bank - look for an ethical policy on the website.
27. Reducing your phone or computer monitor’s brightness from 100pc to 70pc can save up to 20pc of the monitor's energy.
Low cost
Some money spending involved.
28. A water-efficient showerhead.
29. Consider low waste gift ideas such as experiences or tickets to an event, planting trees, meals out, charitable donations and homemade items.
30. An equal mixture of water and white vinegar plus some lemon peel makes a useful eco-friendly household cleaner.
31. A paste of bicarbonate of soda (sometimes called baking soda) and water can be used to clean everything from the oven shelves to the kitchen sink. Rinse off with water or white vinegar. Rub a slice of lemon over the clean surface for extra sparkle.
32. Switch to reusable sanitary products.
33. Let the lawn grass grow slightly longer, less cuts saves fuel and is better news for insects.
34. Use a cooler wash cycle on the washing machine to save electricity. With today's modern detergents you're unlikely to notice a difference in the cleanliness of your clothes.
35. Repair - can that washing machine, fridge, phone, car, TV, heater or oven be repaired rather than replaced? If it can't and the entire unit has to be replaced thanks to a faulty thermostat, at least write to the manufacturer and ask when spare parts are going to be easily available.
36. Take your own cup to cafes.
37. Take public transport.
38. Wax wraps made from cloth coated in beeswax/plant-based wax instead of cling film are ideal for wrapping sandwiches.
39. Buy local - support local shops and businesses. This can reduce transportation costs, boost the local economy and cut back on waste - greengrocers and butchers for example are less likely to sell pre-packaged food.
40. Compost - cut-price compost bins for fruit and vegetable scraps and dry materials are available from £10 plus delivery, with buy one get one half price, or from all 20 Norfolk Recycling Centres thanks to a Norfolk County Council partnership with Get Composting.
Cooked food scraps can be composted in Bokashi Bins, available for £15. See www.norfolkrecycles.com and www.getcomposting.com or telephone 0800 316 4454.
41. Consider switching to a water meter, so you pay for only the water you use. Invest the money you save into water-saving devices and plumbing, such as rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling systems.
42. Choose plastic-free dental floss and cotton buds.
43. Check charity shops and secondhand sales websites before buying new. Chances are there are good as new wine glasses, bookshelves, wheelbarrows, jeans and so on easily available locally.
44. As bulbs die, replace with energy-saving light bulbs. LEDs are more expensive to buy but last longer, saving energy and money during their lifetime compared to regular bulbs.
45. Draught proof windows, doors, fireplaces, loft hatches and letterboxes.
Invest
Big changes, such as external insulation or air source heat pumps, do involve serious investment. But there can be grants available, and they may cut down on future bills while giving that feel-good green feeling.
Many householders are making the investment and it's a busy time for companies involved in cost-effective green energy, said a Norfolk firm.
Simon Palmer, director of Norwich-based Wise Green Energy, said they've noticed a large shift in customers' motivation to become more self-sufficient and invest in their own energy production.
Simon said Wise Green Energy, which offers multiple green solutions for heating, electricity, and hot water, has seen a huge increase in recent months of customers interested in installing renewable energy products.
"We put this largely down to recent events with the energy crises substantially increasing all of our bills in an alarmingly short space of time, and home owners wanting to take back some control of what they will be paying each month on their energy bills.
"We still have environmental factors playing a big part of the reason people are feeling some urgency in making a change and going green, now coupled with other world events that are directly and immediately effecting the cost of the energy we buy."
He added that the benefits of renewables like solar PV, battery storage and heat pumps with higher return on investments and shorter payback times were increasingly attractive to customers.
What investment green measures to consider?
46. Buy energy efficient appliances. Once an appliance has irreparably broken this is a good time to look into replacing it with a far more energy-efficient one.
47. Buy an electric or hybrid car (electric and fossil fuel).
48. Install solar panels and ground source/air source heat pumps.
49. Replace an ageing and inefficient boiler with an energy-efficient one.
50. Insulate your loft and walls.
51. Improve the eco-credentials of your business. Free, impartial and independent guidance on energy-saving measures for Norfolk and Suffolk businesses, and advice on grant applications is available at www.beeanglia.org
52. Increase the amount of natural light and ventilation at home, perhaps by adding a dormer window or skylight (depending on planning regulations).
53. Invest in ethical funds, from climate change to workers' rights, so your money is helping the planet.
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