There are many ways of reducing your carbon foot print – by looking on a woodburning stove website already means that you are interested in ways to do this! Woodburning is a carbon neutral way of heating your home and is a renewable form of heating but here are some more ways to help make a difference:

1. Insulate your home – this will allow less heat to be lost through the shell of your home and help retain the heat created within it.

2. If you have central heating, turn your heating down by 1 degree.

3. Don’t use your car as often. Sometimes it just isn’t practical but wherever possible try walking to your destination or taking public transport. If you walk, you are benefiting your own health too!

4. Recycle as much as you can. Anything put into your waste bin will end up in landfill which in turn will create methane.

5. Eat less meat and dairy produce – animals are a major cause of greenhouse gas either due to the feed they require which is often intensively farmed or through the animal itself. Try eating meat less each week and try to eat organic meat which is ethically sourced – if we all skipped meat for just one day of the week it would make a massive combined difference.

6. Think before buying clothes. Did you know that fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world? The amount of water required to grow cotton, the dying process of the fabrics etc all has a massive impact on the environment. Clothes are often seen as being disposable now due to their relatively cheap price but thinking whether you really do need that additional pair of jeans or extra cotton t shirt can make a difference. Buy sensibly and think if you really need that garment and will you actually wear it?

7. Fly less if you can – not always possible but if you do fly, chose an airline that allows you to offset your carbon footprint. For closer to home destinations, try taking the train to get to Europe.

8. Switch things off! When not using tv’s, pc’s etc switch them off rather than leaving them on Standby. Try to not use the tumble drier when possible and either line dry or use a good old fashioned clothes horse on rainy days. Installing a smart meter will help you see how much electricity you are using so you see more clearly the difference when appliances are switched off.

9. Change electricity supplier. More and more suppliers are now offering renewable tariffs so you can ensure that your electricity is coming from wind or solar power etc rather than coal fired power stations. Infact, recently the National Grid managed to operate for a full 24 hour period providing electricity that was not through coal fired power stations for the first time since the Victorian Era! This needs to become a permanent method rather than a rarity.