National Trust members Clare Deering and Mark Beswetherick wanted to know if there was more they could be doing at home to go green. A house audit from the Trust's Environmental Practices Adviser showed them how to make a difference.
The house is mid-terrace Victorian, built in 1905. It has a single storey kitchen extension to the rear, 3 bedrooms and a partial attic conversion.
Other things you can do
The family has 2 cars as both work in opposite directions. Clare will investigate the possibilities of car sharing with colleagues, once Ella starts school in September – her school is within walking distance. Bus journeys and cycle journeys to work are not feasible due to time and cost.
The Environmental Practices Adviser recommends that the family visit the Eco Home at the Create Centre and calculate their water usage using the Wessex Water Calculator
Other great places to visit for an inspirational look at what can be done to reduce your environmental footprint are:
Defra are in the process of developing a web based carbon calculator which will be available shortly – this should be accessible from the Defra home page. which also has further information on what other steps to take to reduce your environmental / carbon footprint. Details of the Ecoschools programme is also available on this site.
© Sylvaine Poitau
Suggested reading
Mark Lynas 'Carbon Counter' Collins Gem, £4.99, ISBN: 9780007248124
Leo Hickman 'A Good Life' Eden Project Books £15, ISBN: 9781903919590
George Monbiot Heat: 'How to Stop the Planet Burning',Allen Lane, ISBN: 9780713999235, £17.99
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