Save money. Save the Planet!

Global Warming. Newspapers and television broadcasters like the BBC are currently highlighting the growing concern over climate change. It's no surprise. The UK is experiencing one of its mildest Winters on record.

2006 was one of the warmest years since records began in 1659, and the Met Office is predicting 2007 will be the warmest year ever.

Controversy still surrounds the debate of global warming, and what steps society should take in response. The general consensus among scientist is warming of the planet is caused by the emission of greenhouse gases caused by activities such as burning fossil fuels. Each time you drive your car, turn on the light, warm up the house or take a flight you contribute to global warming.

To eliminate such activities from your life is not only difficult it's virtually impossible. Our lives have become deeply dependent on the use of oil and electricity for daily living. And until cost effective renewable energy becomes available what choice do we have?

Well, you can sit on your backside in the comfort of your own home and do nothing, waiting for the next person to take action. Or you can start taking a small part in protecting our planet. By following some very simple tips you can personally help to reduce the level of greenhouse gases pumped into the air - plus you will get the added bonus of saving money.

So what can you do?

Warm wisely - Heating our homes is a major energy waster. Rather than turning up the heat pull out a blanket or put on an extra layer of clothing.

Insulate your world - Good insulation keeps the heat in and the cold out. The majority of heat escapes through doors, windows, walls and the roof of a house. With proper insulation you could save in excess of £300 a year. Make sure your roof and wall cavities are well insulated. Take the time to fill gaps around windows and doors.

If you're over 60 you may be entitled to a government grant to insulate your home or install new heating. Call the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99. It is staffed by experts who can find you information and provide advice on keeping warm.

Save up to an additional 25% on energy costs with Thermilate Paint Additive. Simply add the contents of Thermilate to your paint, then paint away.

Change the lights - For every light you change you can expect to save £5 - £10 per year. Change the lights in you main living areas and you could be saving £50 - £100 every year. Your home will also be saving about 700 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Buy discounted energy lights bulbs.

Reduce - Reuse - Recycle - Reducing your garbage by as little as 25% will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,000 pounds per year. Recycling plastic bottles, newspapers, glass, aluminium cans and cardboard can save a further 750 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

A-rated - When buying new domestic appliances always look for an A-rating. All retailers in the UK must display energy ratings with A being the most efficient.

Also be on the look out The Energy Efficiency Recommended logo; makes the most efficient products instantly recognisable.

All home appliances on the Argos website show their energy rating.

When purchasing office equipment keep an eye out for the Energy Star logo.

It helps you identify equipment that will save you money and help protect the environment. You can find the Energy Star logo on equipment such as computers, monitors, printers, scanners, faxes and photocopiers. The savings can be significant; energy consumption for a new PC and printer varies between 40kWh/year and 400kWh/year and corresponding running costs range from £3 to £28 per year.

Switch off - Don't leave appliances, such as TVs, stereos and DVD players, on standby and remember not to leave appliances like mobile phones or laptops on charge unnecessarily. Nearly £1 billion of electricity is wasted every year from appliances being left on standby!

Car smarts - The average sized car produces 2.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide for every 10,000 miles travelled. That is the equivalent of travelling 40 miles round trip to work each day over 1 year. Here's how you can reduce your fuel consumption and save the environment:

For short trips leave the car at home and walk or use a bicycle
Investigate car pooling or lift sharing with others
Reduce your speed by 15 mph will reduce your fuel use by about 10%
Stick within the speed limit. Driving at 70 mph rather that 80 mph can save you 4p per mile depending on your car
Avoid heavy breaking and fast acceleration and save as much as 30% on fuel
Make sure your tyres are correctly inflated - improves fuel consumption by 2%
Only use air conditioning when necessary - by turning off the A/C you can improve fuel consumption by 10%
Have your car serviced regularly
When by a new car opt for a small sized engine or possibly a electric hybrid car

Plant a tree - Trees can absorb as much as 7000 pound of carbon dioxide over their lifetime.

How to become Carbon Neutral

The average UK resident creates 16.45 tonnes of carbon dioxide pollution every year

Going Carbon Neutral or Carbon Offsetting is an easy way for each person to take responsibility for the carbon dioxide they create through daily living. By purchasing "carbon offsets" you can reduce your carbon footprint, the amount of car dioxide you create. The offsets purchased will be used for activities and projects which promote the reduction of carbon dioxide such as the development of renewable energy sources (solar energy, wind farms), emission reduction technology or simply the planting of trees.

One of the easiest ways to purchase carbon offsets is through dedicated carbon neutral websites like Easy Being Green. The website is operated by Nic Frances and Paul Gilding, two world renowned individuals directing social and environmental change. They have compiled simple packages you can purchase to offset the pollution your life generates through energy use, waste disposal and transport. And they guarantee for every £8 spent they will reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 1 tonne.

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