New Survey


Energy in the Home

I already do this I started this recently Plan to take in next 12 months Plan to take in the longer-term No answer
E1-Get an energy monitor.
E2-Switch off lights in rooms that aren’t being used (6-11 pm during week and 8 am to 11pm on weekends).
E3-Switch off lights in offices that aren’t being used. (7pm-7am during the week and 24hours at the weekend)
E4-Change light bulbs to low energy bulbs
E5-Use a single lamp to illuminate only the area you are using, rather than lighting up the whole room or office.
E6-Maximise the use of natural daylight. Relocate work surfaces, desks and reading areas nearer to windows.
E7-Clean your windows to let in more natural light
E8-Paint your walls and ceilings a light colour next time you decorate
E9-Install occupancy sensors which turn lights on or off depending on whether there is someone in the room
E10-Unplug any chargers once they have finished charging.
E11-Switch all electrical equipment off at the wall when not in use.
E12-Use the off switch on appliances instead of standby.
E13-Switch your computer/monitor off every night AND every time you are away for a long period of time
E22-Switch off office equipment at night
E14-Use a 'power-down' plug: this device turns off all peripheral devices when you turn off your main computer unit, and starts them up again automatically.
E15-Ensure that energy saving features of your computers are activated.
E16-Use the stairs instead of the lift at home and at work
E17-Reduce the brightness on your TV. If you have a LCD TV, you can usually turn down the backlight
E18-Watch TV fewer nights per week, or less time each night - and do something active instead!
E19-When buying a new TV, buy a small one
E20-Turn dishwashers off at the wall when not in use
E21-Reduce the use of electric fans on hot days.
E23-When buying a new radio, buy an Energy Saving Recommended digital one.
E24- Use LED Christmas lights instead of the standard equivalent.
E25-Wear slippers instead of outdoor shoes in the house to reduce the need to hoover.
E26-Switch your electricity supplier to one that supplies green energy
E27-When boiling the kettle, use only the amount of water that you need.
E28-When changing your shower unit, purchase the most energy efficient shower you can.
E29-Defrost your fridge and freezer
E30-Clean the condenser coils at the back of your fridge
E31-Ensure your fridge/freezer are operating at the correct temperatures.
E32-Check for damage to the door seal on your fridge / freezer
E33-Keep fridges/freezers organised
E34-Avoid opening fridge/freezer door unnecessarily
E35-Try to position your fridge freezer away from a heat source, e.g. oven or radiator.
E36-When buying a new Fridge/Freezer buy one with an A+ or A++ rating
E37-When buying a new freezer buy one with an A+ or A++ rating.
E38-When buying a new dishwasher buy one with an A rating
E39-When buying a new Fridge buy one with an A+ or A++ rating
E40-Where appropriate, re-use any cups, glasses or dishes rather than taking a clean one every time.
E41-Only iron the clothes that really need ironing.
E42-Use a lower temperature wash on your washing machine.
E43-Try to reduce the number of times you use the washing machine each week.
E44-If you live in shared accommodation, consider filling the washing machine up with several peoples clothes rather than doing half loads.
E45-Pre soak heavily soiled clothes to decrease necessity to wash at high temperatures
E46-Wait for a full load before washing clothes.
E47-Dry your clothes outside instead of using a tumble dryer
E48-Allow frozen food to defrost before you cook it, rather than cooking from frozen.
E49-Put lids on pans when boiling water
E50-Turn your oven off ten minutes before your dinner is finished cooking.
E51-Choose the right size pan for the size of the food that you are cooking
E52-Place a saucepan on the cooking ring that best equals it in size
E53-Use a toaster instead of the grill for toasting bread
E54-Chop vegetables/meats into smaller sizes when cooking
E55-Avoid temptation to open oven as food cooks
E56-Cook on several levels using a steamer on one cooker ring.
E57-Consider buying an induction hob when replacing an electric hob
E58-Buy a pressure cooker
E59-Buy a slow cooker
H1-Put on warmer clothes instead of turning up the heating
H2-Turn heating down to minimal (or off) when away from home
H3-If your heating is set above the comfortable room temperature of 18-21oC, turn it down.
H4-Switch off heating during the night - use an extra blanket or thicker duvet.
H5-Switch the heating off 1 hour before bedtime
H6-Experiment with altering heating and cooling thermostats. As a guide, try setting no higher than 19oC for heating and no lower than 24oC for cooling.
H7-Turn the heat off in rooms that you are not using
H8-Shut the doors between rooms
H9-Draw all your curtains at nightfall
H10-Place insulation panels behind your radiators
H11-Install radiator thermometers
H12-Check that radiators are working properly
H13-Make sure there is no furniture in front of your radiators
H14-Only use air conditioning when it's really necessary.
H15-If you are using air conditioning, keep the windows and doors closed.
H16-Set the air conditioning thermostat at the highest temperature with which you are comfortable.
H17-Put draught proofing around doors and windows
H18-Find out if you have the recommended 270mm depth of loft insulation. If not, consider fitting it.
H19-Put cavity insulation in your walls
H20-Insulate your hot water tank and pipes.
H21-Find out if your boiler needs replacing and if there are grants available to help you.
H22-If you are a tenant, ask for a boiler maintenance certificate from your landlord or estate agent.

Travel and Transport

I already do this I started this recently Plan to take in next 12 months Plan to take in the longer-term No answer
T1-For short journeys, try not to use a car. Walk or cycle instead.
T2-If you don't have a bike, consider buying one under the cycle to work scheme. Or buy a second hand one.
T3-When you decide to go on holidays, choose destinations reached by coach or train
T4-'Contact your local MSPs and councillors and campaign for improved transport and cycling infrastructure
T5-Reduce the amount of business flights you take, try to travel by public transport or lift share to get to a meeting.
T6-Try to reduce the number of internal flights you take a year
T7-Plan a local holiday rather than flying abroad
T8- If you are travelling to Europe for holiday or work, consider using public transport or driving
T9-Reduce flights by 25%
T10-Reduce flights by 50%
T11-Reduce flights by 75%
T12-Stop flying totally
T13-If you are buying a car, think about the energy and carbon used to produce it, as well as it's fuel efficiency when you are using it.
T14-Walk or cycle to work instead of using your car
T15-Use public transport to get to work. Find out about bus and train times.
T16-Use lift sharing when travelling to work.
T17-Talk to your organisation about lower carbon travel to work options
T18-Lobby your organisation to provide a bike pool for short work journeys
T19-Speak to your organisation about providing a shuttle bus service for employees?
T20-Turn off the engine when you are not driving (e.g., if you are waiting for someone or stuck in traffic)
T21-If you live near a supermarket, walk or cycle there to do your shopping
T22-Reduce your car trips to the supermarket - do one big weekly shop, or combine your shopping trip with another car journey.
T23-If you drive to the supermarket consider doing your weekly supermarket shop online
T24-Get your food shopping delivery at the same time as your neighbours.
T25-Take part in or set up a walking bus group for your children's school.
T26-Reduce the amount of meetings you travel to by using tele and video conferencing.
T27-Ask your organisation to provide advanced driver training and/ or eco-driving training to all those who drive company vehicles.
T28-Investigate eco-driving techniques.
T29-Accelerate slowly and smoothly, maintain a steady speed (within the speed limit!) and anticipate your stops and starts.
T30-Stick to the most efficient speed of your car to minimise fuel consumption.
T31-Ensure vehicles are correctly maintained.
T32-Ensure tyres at correct pressure.
T33-Remove roof racks / boxes and cycle racks from your car. Clear out any heavy clutter you might have in your car.
T34-Plan your journeys to avoid congestion. Use SatNav or similar IT applications to avoid traffic congestion and reduce the amount of wasted journey time.
T35-Convert to lpg fuel

Food and Water

I already do this I started this recently Plan to take in next 12 months Plan to take in the longer-term No answer
F1-Try to buy food that is grown or produced locally
F2-Consider reducing the amount of meat that you eat by 50%
F3-Consider reducing the amount of meat that you eat by 75%
F4-Consider reducing the amount of meat that you eat by 100%
F5-Consider reducing the amount of dairy products you eat by 25%
F6-Consider reducing the amount of dairy products you eat by 50%
F7-Consider reducing the amount of dairy products you eat by 75%
F8-Consider reducing the amount of dairy products you eat by 100%
F9-Cook a vegetarian meal
F10-Cook a vegan meal
F11-Include some (20%) local organic food in your weekly shop.
F12-Buy fresh: avoid pre-prepared fruit and vegetables
F13-Try to remember all the low carbon food rules when shopping: local, organic, low-meat, fresh.
F14-Make use of the work / University canteen
F15-Investigate local food co-ops
F16-When eating out, choose a restaurant that uses local produce?
F17-If hiring catering for events or meetings, consider asking for low carbon catering. E.g. seasonal fruit and vegetables that are in season and grown locally.
F18-Become self sufficient in fruit and vegetables
W1-Install a water meter
W2-Have a the shower instead of a bath
W3-Reduce the time you spend in the shower.
W4-Set up a water butt and use the water in it to water the garden and houseplants.
W5-Don't leave the taps or shower running when you are not using it.
W6-Fix leaky taps
W7-Try to wear clothes for longer and reduce the amount of washes you do.
W8-Share a bath
W9-If you have a dual flushing toilet, make sure you use the right flush!
W10-Reduce water use when washing pots by washing the cleaner things first (glasses, cups), then moving on to the greasy things.

Consumption and Waste

I already do this I started this recently Plan to take in next 12 months Plan to take in the longer-term No answer
C1-Recycle your waste Label your waste and recycling bins so everyone knows what should go in them
C2-Recycle all glass bottles
C3-Recycle drinks cans
C4-Recycle your old bike
C5-Organise a clothes swapping night
C6-Use reusable items instead of disposable ones
C7-Reuse or recycle your ink cartridges
C8-Buy refilled printer cartridges
C9-When conventional batteries wear out, replace them with rechargeable ones
C10-Donate unwanted items to charity shops or community projects instead of binning them
C11-Use waste packaging for craft activities
C12-Make notebooks from scrap paper
C13-Try to get clothes repaired instead of buying new ones
C14-Swap or recycle children’s toys
C15-Re-use shredded paper, e.g. when packing products. Or compost it.
C16-Make a Christmas or Birthday card or present instead of buying something?
C17-Buy items with less packaging
C18-Buy food with less packaging.
C19-Make your own lunch instead of buying sandwiches
C20-Plan your meals in advance to help you avoid food waste
C21-Consider starting a home, school or work composting scheme
C22-Use recycled or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper
C23-Buy envelopes from recycled materials whenever possible
C25-Buy recycled paper stationery and filing products.
C26-If you have a child in nappies, consider using reusable or semi-biodegradable nappies instead of disposable ones.
C27-Avoid buying one unnecessary household/personal appliance - laptop, new mobile phone, mp2 player, printer etc.
C28-Make sure your old mobile phones and other gadgets don’t end up in the bin. Take them to a charity shop or recycle them.
C29-Have your old computer fixed and upgraded rather than buying a new one
C31-Change computer / printer / photocopier settings so that double sided printing happens automatically.
C32-Print or photocopy internal forms and notices onto the back of one sided used paper, until no one sided paper left.
C33-Write to organisations to stop them sending junk mail to you.
C34-Register with the Mailing Preference Service to reduce junk mail
C35-Go through the mail being sent to you/your business and think about whether you need to receive it
C36-Register to opt out of the post office's Door to Door service
C37-Use online services
C38-Buy music online and use an MP3 player instead of buying CDs.
C39-Send celebration e-cards or texts.
C40-If you use disposable cups and plates in your workplace, replace these with biodegradable alternatives, or join a local plastic cup recycling scheme
C41-Remove disposable cups from your drinking water dispenser. Use glasses instead.
C42-Replace bottled drinking water dispensers with a water cooler / filter
C43-Try to exchange bottled water for tap water
C44-When you buy new desks etc for the office, consider getting good quality second hand ones
C45-When doing home DIY use timber that is reclaimed, or that is Forest Stewardship Council certified (FSC).
C46-Avoid the use of patio heaters.

"The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein."