Did you know that lowering the temperature of your thermostat by 1′C can reduce your energy bill by 10%? For all your energy facts:

www.energyfuture.org.uk

The cost of energy has almost doubled since 2002. To find out if you are eligible for grants or special offers go to:

www.direct.gov.uk

www.homeheathelpline.org

Our homes produce even more CO2 emmissions than our cars. For information on energy efficiency, insulation and renewable energy options (including grants):

www.est.org.uk/myhome/gid

Credit crunch energy saving. To get the best deals on gas and electricity:

http://www.energy-retail.org.uk

Problems or disputes with your energy supplier?

www.energy-ombudsman.org.uk

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/

www.ofgem.gov.uk

And finally… did you know energy-efficient light bulbs last about 12 times longer than ordinary bulbs, and consume about 1/5 of the energy? There are some better loooking energy-efficient bulbs out there now:

http://www.lightbulbs-direct.com/category/5/energy-savers/

http://www.nigelsecostore.com/acatalog/daylight-bulbs.html?adnetwork=wg

Use an Eco Party Planner: London ethical planners ‘Seventeen’ will ensure your party will be eco-friendly from the lighting to the food.

www.seventeenevents.co.uk

Invest in some party glasses: avoid using disposable plate and cups if you’re a regular party-thrower. You may be able to borrow boxes of glasses from where you order your drinks.

www.majestic.co.uk

Go for ethical alcohol: it may not prevent a nasty hangover, but try to choose Fairtrade when buying wine from South Africa, Chile or Argentina. You may think buying wine with a plastic cork is more environmentally friendly, but did you know that not a single tree is cut down in the production of real cork? So buy wine with a real cork as it helps maintain the cork forests of Europe which provide vital habitat for endangered species. (And a real cork is biodegradable!)

Also, why not try organic local wine, beer and spirits as it will save on the air miles and mean fewer pesticides.

www.englishorganicwine.co.uk

www.junipergreen.org

Choose organic party food: if you’re throwing a large party or wedding why not try an eco-caterer, who specialises in making orgnaic and Fairtrade party food?

www.passionorganic.com

Oh man I love the cake!: if you’re buying a cake for a Birthday, wedding or leaving do choose a cake with fewer chemical colourings and flavourings (which make you feel a bit queasy!) Try the Organic Chocolate Cake Company and the Organic Cake Company, who also try to use as many local ingredients as possible.

www.tocc.co.uk

www.theorganiccakecompany.co.uk

Pick eco-balloons: Balloons are more eco-friendly than you might think. They are made from latex taken from rubber trees in a way which doesn’t require the tree to be cut down. Balloons biodegrade at about the same rate as an oak leaf, however when they are released they can end up being swallowed by wildlife and sea animals. Avoid foil balloons as they do not biodegrade. Try an eco-balloon made from a material which dissolved in water or moisture.

www.ecovy.com

Environmentally-friendly generators: For a wedding or large event (even a bouncy castle!) think about whether to use a bio-fuel or solar-powered generator for a proper guilt-free party.

www.midas-uk.co.uk

www.windandsun.co.uk/exhibitions.htm

www.fireflysolar.co.uk

Get an allotment: get fit from all that digging and bring home some fresh organic fruit and veg:

www.allotment.org.uk

Join a green gym: Fed up with the stuffy gym? Get fit by doing regular outdoor work from fixing walls to clearing paths. And it’s free!

www.btcv.org/greengym

Green golf: go to a golf course which is involved in a conservation project as most golf courses tend to be environmentally damaging. Further info at:

www.bestcourseforgolf.org

Sail away..: instead of leaving a huge carbon footprint by taking a break abroad, why not try sailing around the UK (well it is wind-powered after all!)

www.uksa.org

Go Foraging: take the kids out (or the in-laws) foraging for free organic food growing in our woods, hills and hedgerows. Think of all those blackberries, mushrooms and hazelnuts you could be gathering…

www.wildmanwildfood.co.uk

www.countrylovers.co.uk/wfs

www.bushcraft-magazine.co.uk

And finally…..

Eco love: as the weather is warming up and romance is in the air, find your perfect environmentally-aware soulmate at the green dating agency, Natural Friends. Finally, finding someone who doesn’t leave all the lights on and can natter to you about climate change! ;o)

www.natural-friends.com

Start investigating your enviromentally friendly diet at:

www.soilassociation.org

For more information on seasonal produce:

www.eattheseasons.co.uk

Find a farmer’s market near you (including London):

www.bigbarn.co.uk

For those who like the good old fashioned milkman (and want to stop buying non-biodegradable bottles!) Really traditional and great to support the milkmen:

www.milkdeliveries.co.uk

Hmmm..chocolate I won’t feel guilty eating (well…just a little guilty)

www.divinechocolate.com

For the lazy Organic Fiend. Look for the soilier veg as its a great source of Selenium:

www.organicdelivery.co.uk

Londoner’s Lunch delivered via an emissions-free bike:

www.darwinsdeli.co.uk