Are you doing enough to prevent the rise of greenhouse gases? If not, an energy company has come up with some handy tips to help you do your bit.

Greenhouse gases in the UK rose by 2.8% in 2010 according to figures released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

This figure becomes even more daunting when it is set against the UK’s target of reducing emissions by 35% by 2022.

Carillion Energy Services, one of the largest national suppliers of heating and renewable energy and a company committed to delivering improvements in energy efficiency, has now come up with a checklist to help ordinary households save energy and improve their carbon footprint.

In 2010 carbon dioxide emissions from homes, mainly caused by central heating and cooking, rose by 13.4%. By acting on the following guidelines we’ll not only cut down on our carbon footprints, we’ll also save ourselves money in the process.

Amongst their tips they suggest:

Turn your thermostat down. Turning it down just 1°C could cut your heating bill by up to 10%, saving you £55 a year.

Reduce your water temperature. If you’re having to mix cold with hot water to get your bath just right, then it’s set too high. Ideally, your thermostat should be set at 60 degrees C/140 degrees F.

Don’t obstruct your radiators, though I doubt you even need them on at the moment, and make sure you bleed them regularly to remove trapped air, which absorbs heat and reduces efficiency.

These are simple procedures we can all follow. Thanks for the tips Carillion. In my flat the radiators are off, but I do know my hot water is too hot - I’ll sort it out now.

And, like my dad in the 70’s, I’ll save water by only having one bath a week. And, unlike my dad way back then, I have the added luxury of a shower for the other days!

[Image: Liz | populational]