Your Carbon Footprint

Everyone has a carbon footprint -  when we use energy we create carbon dioxide (C0₂) and other greenhouse gases that change the climate. Its unavoidable, but we can reduce our impact by thinking smarter and wasting less. We can all help and do our bit to help reduce CO₂ emissions, is easy. You can find many tips at OxTreeGen to help reduce your level of emissions and offset all or some of the balance.

We offer many great tree gifts that suit all ages and occasions. Why not look for something a little different as a stocking filler or to celebrate that special birthday or anniversary. Our unique tree gifts  are a great alternative to the standard pair of socks or slippers. If you really want to make a difference and get involve, and get some fantastic discounts from our other members why not become a member of OXCRI.

Have a look at some of the simple and practical measures you can take to help the planet breathe.

What can you do in your home to help redcue your impact?

Draught-proof your home
By taking simple cheap steps to block draughts in your homes or business you can reduce carbon emissions. You can stop draughts which waste heat by installing seals on exterior doors. Draughts also get in through gaps in floorboards and skirting boards; stop this heat being wasted by filling these gaps with beading or sealant.

Replace your hot water tank insulating jacket
A 75mm thick hot water tank insulating jacket costs approx £12 but could pay for itself in just six months. If your jacket is less than 75mm thick you’ll save energy by replacing it or putting another jacket on top.

Install energy saving lightbulbs
They cost a little more to buy but last around 10 times longer than a regular bulb and use a lot less electricity – so they will save you money over their lifetime. By replacing all the remaining traditional bulbs in your home with energy saving light bulbs you could save around £37 a year from your energy bill and 135kg of carbon dioxide. Over the lifetime of all the bulbs this could add up to £590 saved on energy bills and in bulb costs, and around 3 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Use your dishwasher efficiently
If you use a dishwasher, make sure to only put it on when it is full, thereby saving on the number of washes you do and save water and energy. Use the eco setting if available.

Reduce your shower time
Reducing your shower time by just 1 or 2 minutes will save water, energy and money. If a family of four each reduced their daily shower time by one minute it would save around 7,000 litres of hot water each year – enough to fill over three telephone boxes. Using a shower timer will help you have shorter showers and adding a flow regulator or a different shower head will reduce how much water you use.

Take a shower instead of a bath
If everybody in a four person family replaced one bath a week with a 5 minute shower, you could save between £5 and £15 per year off your energy bill. This saving would be even greater if you use an electrical immersion heater.

Try not to leave the tap running when you clean your teeth
Fact: A running tap can use 6 litres of water in one minute - just 10 minutes could be enough to fill a small bath.

Fit a water saving device in your toilet
Dual flush toilets cut water usage dramatically. Alternatively using a water saving hippo, which some water companies will provide for free, can save around three litres of water every flush.

Fix leaking taps - it often only takes a new washer
A dripping tap could waste more than 15 litres of water a day.

For more information call our team on 0808 178 0703 today.