It’s official! Two-thirds of people around the world see climate change as a global emergency.

That’s what The People’s Climate Vote – the largest ever survey of public opinion on climate change – has told us.

With 1.2 million respondents we now know that the majority of us are very aware of climate change and the threat it poses.

But we’re with you, at Gas Angel Heating we agree that tackling climate change feels like climbing Everest during a hurricane while wearing flip-flops.

400 North East homes, doing their bit

The fact is, that the planet can survive without us – but we can not survive without our planet.

With this in mind, in 2020 we teamed up with sustainability champion, JUSTONETree in a pledge to remove boiler carbon from the atmosphere on behalf of our Gas Angel Cover customers.

And, we are so so excited to tell you that, together with our boiler cover customers, we are helping offset the boiler CO2 for over 400 North East homes!

Our thought at Gas Angel is that we owe it to our younger generations and their future generations to at least try and do our bit.

Pushing our luck?

We thought we’d try and push our luck and take things a small step further.

With that in mind, the team at Gas Angel got together to create a list of tips on living a greener life with very little effort.

If we make tiny changes to our daily lives, then collectively each little step will hopefully help make a difference to the next generation.

Pick ‘n’ mix

There’s a lot here, but the beauty is, it’s not about committing to all of them, every single day.

That may well feel like climbing Everest during a hurricane while wearing flip-flops.

But why not pick 1 or 2, test them out and see how they fit into your daily life?

Here goes…

Green heating and hot water

This had to be top of our list because, after all, it’s what the team at Gas Angel strives to do every single day. Here are our tips for reducing your boiler carbon.

1). Turn your thermostat down by just 1 degree – you probably won’t notice it, but the planet will.

2). Have your boiler serviced regularly to ensure it’s working efficiently (and therefore saving you money and kicking out less carbon).

3). If your boiler is old (10 years +) and particularly if it’s causing you bother, consider if it’s worth replacing your old boiler with a new energy-efficient reliable boiler.

4). Invest in a boiler cover plan – it saves you money against hefty boiler repair bills, ensures everything is running efficiently and that you always have someone to call when things do go wrong, AND if you choose Gas Angel Cover we plant two trees for you every year, reducing your carbon footprint 🌴🌴.

5). Look in to switching your energy provider to ensure you’ve got the most cost-effective, and climate-friendly, tariff – look for suppliers with green policies to offset their carbon.

Electric dreams

6). Replace your lightbulbs with energy-saving ones. Yes, initially it appears to be more expensive, but they’ll last you years and they’ll save on energy and money in the long run plus reduce your emissions.

7). If you want to go a step further, smart lightbulbs could be just the thing for you. If you forget to turn your lights off when you leave a room – just tell your smartphone.

8). Apologies if this one brings you out in a cold sweat but bear with me… have a tech-free night once a month. Ban screens, lock away iPhones, turn off Netflix and unplug Alexa. You could even make it more fun by doing it by candlelight!

9). Reduce the temperature on your washing machine. If the ads are to be believed, Persil, Ariel, and Fairy will all keep your clothes lovely and clean – so there’s no need to boil your threads. Keep it to 30 degrees and save on energy.

10). My favorite… do away with the ironing or at least some of it! After all, you’re not going anywhere right now…so what’s the point?

Gloriously greener food

11). Put lids on your pans when you’re boiling spuds – that might mean hunting at the back of the cupboard to find the right size lid but you’ll be using less energy and you’ll get to eat your tea earlier – bonus!

12). Allow leftover food to cool fully before putting it in the fridge for tomorrow’s bait. You’ll be giving the fridge a rest from working so hard!

13). Defrost your freezer regularly. It’s the very definition of adulting – I promise you, you’ll feel so proud of yourself for doing it. And, again, it’ll stop your freezer from having to work too hard.

14). Consider a plant-based diet. OK, you don’t have to quit meat full time, but even just swapping out one traditionally meaty meal a week for a vegan steak or vegi option will start to add up and make a difference to the environment (and possibly your waistline too).

15). Try to eat seasonally – and locally. If food is available out of season, it’s highly likely to have been grown in a warehouse using lots of energy. Plus, if the food was grown or made locally, you’ll know that it hasn’t clocked up the air miles and emissions en route to your dinner plate, plus you’re helping a local North East business.

Shop til you drop (that plastic habit)

16). We all know we should re-use our plastic bags – but how often do we leave the house without them? So, our tip is this: keep a lightweight, roll-up shopper bag in your handbag or coat pocket. You’ll never leave the house without it.

17). Shop for fresh food that isn’t pre-packaged. For example, there’s no need to buy bananas wrapped in plastic when they already come packaged as a bunch – naturally.

18). Ditch the disposables. There’s plastic in more than you might first imagine – your face wipes are prime examples. Why not switch to a good old-school flannel instead?

19). Did you know that some tea bags contain hidden plastic? Check the packaging or switch to loose leaf tea – and pretend you’re enjoying fine-dining at Betty’s tea rooms (cream scone not included).

20). Scoop your* poop into compostable, biodegradable bags (*you know we’re talking about pooch poop here, right?). Just do a google search and you’ll find all the available products that will make your dog walks a far greener experience – no matter where you live.

Choose what works for you

So, there you go. A pick ‘n’ mix of ideas for greener living. As mentioned earlier, you don’t have to go all out ‘The Good Life’ to make a difference.

But you never know, you might actually enjoy claiming lost family time back from the tech devices that we’re all glued to.

Just try one or two that feel easy and you soon get into it.

→ What next

Read more about our work with sustainability champion JUSTONETree and how our boiler cover customers are protecting their boiler, family, and helping the planet too  …

If you have any questions please drop us a message or call 0191 289 3464.