Here are a few ideas, which you probably know about already, but which might help some people to have less impact on the environment and save some money too ("Ah! good" said Gill). It isn't going to save the planet on its own, but anything that helps can't be a bad thing, although the views in this article are slightly more sceptical than is fashionable at the moment.

Use a Bike. Sometimes a car is the sensible and practical transport to use: when you have a long journey, passengers,heavy or bulky things to transport or when the weather is really just too wet or cold to encourage much cycling. (This author uses cars too). At other times a bicycle can be a cheap, environmentally friendly and healthy alternative transport for; getting to work or running local errands; Obviously you should ride sensibly and observe the usual measures for safety and visibility. Moderate cycle journeys take surprisingly little time. A two or three mile ride to the shops (get some panniers to carry the shopping) should only take you about fifteen minutes, less as you get fitter,  and when you get there you can park for nothing. Some people worry about hills but your legs will get used to all but the steepest very soon.

There is a very real worry that the roads are too dangerous and that some car and lorry drivers don't give cyclists the consideration they need. That is understandable but if cyclists are around more then drivers will get used to the idea of them as fellow road users. Ride sensibly and follow the rules. Also don't ride in the gutter, that is where the drains and broken glass are. If you are at least half a metre out in the road, you will be more visible to drivers and they are less likely to try to squeeze past in risky situations.

Energy Saving Light Bulbs. Use energy saving light bulbs where you can. A lot has been written about energy saving light bulbs, (sometimes called compact fluorescent lamps or cfl s), which use less energy than ordinary Tungsten light bulbs and are a good thing. 18 Wattt energy saving lamps are generally sold as equivalent to 100W tungsten bulbs. Some people find the quality of light not so good and consider a higher wattage  to be a better replacement (23 Watt bulbs are available), but this is still a big reduction in energy from 100 Watts. Cfls can take about ten minutes to warm up and deliver their rated light output which shouldn't be a problem for normal room lighting. In rooms used only for a short periods though, the slow warm up might mean that a cfl is not be the most suitable type of light.

If you are using tungsten bulbs, the "wasted" energy is not always lost. If your heating is controlled by a thermostat then the heat from light bulbs (and everything else) contributes to heat in the house, so your thermostat should cut out sooner, and the heating system should use slightly less energy when it is operating.  In the Summer of course with the heating off, the heat energy from lighting is just lost.

Consider using ordinary fluorescent tubes in garages and utility rooms where their appearance is of less concern. They are efficient, shine with nearly full brightness when switched on and have a long service life. Also, modern electronic fittings don't do the traditional "flickering" when the light is switched on.

Heavy Curtains
Heavy curtains reduce heat loss through windows and patio doors.  Good quality double glazing is widely recognised as best for reducing heat loss, but some say that the cost of replacing sound single glazed windows or older double glazing  would not be quickly recovered by the energy savings. So if you don't think you can replace your older windows and patio doors then good curtains will make your room warmer and less draughty during the winter evenings.

Want to know where your energy goes? Do you think "every little helps" and that wind farms are the answer to sustainable energy? Professor David MacKay's book " Sustainable Energy - Without The Hot Air" is a pragmatic and clear account of energy issues that also includes a good numeric account of domestic energy consumption and where the heat leaks. You can browse this book on the web, it is available as pdf files free of charge and there is a paper version available at reasonable cost.

Beware of Cheap Goods. We all like to find a bargain but sometimes they are not what they seem. How often have we all bought a cheap gadget for the house or garden, only to find 18 months later, when the guarantee has run out,that it has failed? Then we find that that spare parts are unavailable (at a realistic price), and that even if they were the cost of repair would be more than buying a new one.

This is an environmental catastrophe. A cheap and badly made item usually uses about the same resources as a well made one and creates the same amount of land fill when you have finished with it. So buying cheap you will probably buy twice as often, so not save any money, and create twice as much waste.

If you can get quality at a bargain price then buy it, but the point is to buy quality, use fewer resources and make less waste.

Insulate Your house. It is said that at least half of the heat lost from a typical house escapes through the walls and roof. Wall and loft insulation will help to reduce these losses. The Energy Saving Trust has produced figures to show the benefits of loft insulation. Sadly there seems to be a law of diminishing returns. If you have no loft insulation now, you could save £205 a year by installing the recommended 270mm, but if you already have 50mm now (hardly any by modern standards) you will only save £60 by installing the recommended 270mm. That isn't the complete picture though as increasing loft insulation will minmise cold spots where condensation can occur in winter and increase comfort levels. They say that cavity wall insulation should save you about £160 a year.

Tumble Dryers Use your tumble dryer on it's low heat setting. The most energy efficient way of drying clothes is on a washing line in the garden, but not everyone can do this and even if they can it's not much use on wet days. So many feel they have to use a tumble dryer, a machine that uses a lot of energy.

There are three types of tumble dryer on the market: externally vented, condenser and heat pump. Heat pump dryers are the most efficient but can also be about twice the purchase price of the other types.  Most people have have externally vented or condenser dryers, the condenser type being usually slightly less efficient, but more convenient.  An advantage of condenser dryers in the winter is that waste heat iskept within the home (unlike vented dryers) so contributing to  general house heating. In summer  when additional heating isn't required the heat energy is wasted..

The good news is that you can save energy by using your dryer (condenser or vented) on a lower heat setting. It takes a bit longer but uses less energy. If the low heat setting uses half the power  for example, the washing would take a bit longer to dry but not twice as long, so you save energy. (We tried this on our vented dryer and it really works).