What you can do to care for your environment

Quick fixes to help you save energy and lower your bills

• Unplug appliances: Turn off electrical appliances at the wall when not in use.
• Switch off lights: Turn off lights when you leave a room.
• Replace old bulbs: Fit a low energy LED bulbs when your old ones stop working.
• Think before you fill: Only fill your kettle with the water you need.
• Wash at 30 degrees: Wash clothes at 30 degrees and, if you can, use one less cycle a week.
• Dry laundry outside: Dry washing outside or on a clothes rack rather than in a tumble dryer.
• Shower don’t soak: Swap baths for short showers (reduce showers by just 1 minute to save even more).
• Wait for a full load: Only use your dishwasher and washing machine when they’re full.
• Keep out draughts: Draught-proof your windows and doors and close curtains at night to keep the warmth in and the cold out.
• Turn down your thermostat: Turn your heating down by just 1 (if comfortable to do so) and cut heating bills by around 10 percent.
• Insulate your hot water tank: Insulate your water tank, pipes and radiators.

See more quick wins from the Energy Saving Trust.

Further steps with a bit more time and budget

• Get a smart meter to monitor exactly how much energy you are using in your home and what it's costing you, helping you to make smart decisions about your energy use. Visit Smart Energy GB to find out whether you can get one fitted.
• Insulate water pipes. Pipe insulation is cheap and will keep your water hotter for longer.
• Fit thermal curtains to feel warm and cosy and you might be able to also turn the heating down.
• Consider installing loft or cavity wall insulation or upgrading your heating system. Visit the Energy Saving Trust to find out more about home insulation to reduce home heat loss.
• Switch to a green energy tariff. For advice on switching energy suppliers visit the Citizens Advice website.

Many factors including pollution, habitat loss and the effects of climate change are leading to a decline in biodiversity in locally and in the UK. 

Our network of great British gardens has the potential to support a thriving wildlife community. 

Quick and free

• Choose peat-free products: British peat bogs store carbon, prevent flooding and are home to important plants and wildlife. 
• Protect forests and woodlands: Deforestation is a major source of habitat loss. Choose wood, timber and paper products that carry the Forest Stewardship Council mark indicating ensures that forests are responsibly managed. 
• Welcome wildlife into your garden: Leave a corner of your garden unmown. Long grass and native plants encourage natural pollinators and are great for other insects and amphibians. 

Further steps

• Provide food and nesting sites for birds in your garden.
• Add a log pile. Dead and decaying wood supports a wide range of invertebrates.
• Create a water feature to attract aquatic insects and amphibians. Alternatively, a marshy area will encourage biodiversity and be safer for children.
• Remember to compost. Composting your garden waste is an easy way to help the environment. Check out our current home composting support.
• Visit Essex Wildlife Trust’s website for more advice on wildlife-friendly gardening.

Walk or cycle to work or school, hop off the bus a stop early, or park a bit further away. Small changes like these can help you get your daily dose of exercise and cut down on air pollution.

Quick fixes

• Walk and cycle for short journeys: It's healthy, free and you don't have to look for a parking space. Regular cyclists have the fitness of someone ten years younger.
• Find safe cycling routes for leisure and commuting around Havering.
• Find out about school travel plans to improve your school run.
• Get some cycle training to boost your confidence on two wheels.
• Find information on walking routes and trails in Havering. 
• Take your litter home: Don't let it spoil the scenery or harm wildlife. 

Further steps

• Give public transport a go: With WiFi and charging points on modern trains and buses you can catch up with your email on the go or just enjoy reading a book. Visit the TfL website to plan your journey on public transport.
• Car share: 70 percent of cars carry one person. Sharing your journey reduces congestion, saves fuel and parking fees, cuts your carbon footprint, and you might even make a new friend.
• Sustrans has more advice and information about active and sustainable travel.

• Shop local where possible. This doesn’t just mean buying at local shops but also buying products which are made locally, using locally sourced materials. Take a look at the our Keep It Local campaign for more ways to support local businesses in Havering. 
• Many products purchased from ‘British’ companies are actually made abroad and will have travelled thousands of miles on its journey, check labels thoroughly. 
• Look carefully at the environmental and sustainability evidence on products and be wary of vague terms such as ‘green’ and ‘eco’.
• Choose Fairtrade goods if possible. Fairtrade is about better prices, safe working conditions, fair terms of trade for farmers and workers and local sustainability.
• Consider introducing more plant based meals. Try ‘Meat Free Mondays’.
• Choose seasonal food. It is often cheaper, fresher, tastier and more nutritious as it hasn’t travelled so far. 
• Foods purchased out of season require more artificial resources such as lighting, heating, pesticides and fertilisers which all have a detrimental impact on the environment and wildlife. 
• Consider using refillables for dry store cupboard goods such as pasta, rice, dried fruits or for cleaning products.
• Avoid products containing palm oil. Palm oil is a significant cause of deforestation and is high in saturated fats.
• Do you need that chewing gum? It takes about 50 years for chewing gum to start to decompose and between 500 to 1,000 years to completely disintegrate.
• Try a doorstep milk delivery from a local dairy that uses glass milk bottles that can be recycled.
• Consider reusable cloth nappies. Sign up for trial packs from us.
• Remember to take your own shopping bags.
• Shopping online can have significantly less environmental impact than shopping in store because of the carbon emissions produced by customers driving to the high street or shopping centre and the electricity and heating used to power retail outlets.
• Do you need next day delivery? Next day or express deliveries usually involve the products being transported by air travel rather than by sea or road and deliveries of multiple products are less likely to be consolidated into one package.
• Be careful with returns. Between 30 percent and 40 percent of online purchases are returned and 20 percent of these end up in landfill as they are not resalable by retailers. Read the item description and check the sizing of products carefully.
• Buy less or buy second hand. Do you really need that extra pair of shoes or trainers?

• Take a reusable water bottle when you are out so that you are not tempted to buy plastic bottles.
• Take your own dishes when ordering a take away meal.
• Take your own utensils if you are eating out at a restaurant that only uses single use cutlery or dishes.
• Refuse plastic straws and plastic drink lids.
• Refuse refills if you do not think you will eat or drink. 

Our advice pack has some great tips and information to help us all lower our carbon footprint, reduce our impact on the planet, and create a more sustainable future for us and the next generation.