November's Sustainability Challenge - the results!
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November Sustainability Challenge: Carbon Reduction Month
This month, our Sustainability Ambassadors are focusing on reducing our carbon footprint — one small action at a time. As the weather cools and we spend more time indoors, it’s a great opportunity to think about how we use energy, travel, and food more efficiently. Every small change adds up to a big difference for our planet.
How You Can Get Involved?
- Turn your heating down by 1 degree and check for draughts or heat leaks — simple fixes like draught excluders or radiator reflectors can save both energy and money. 🏠
- Wash clothes at 30°C and only run full loads.
- Travel smarter — walk, cycle, use public transport, and drive efficiently when you can.
- Plan a plant-based meal each week — great for your health and the planet.
- Have a leftovers night or batch cook to make the most of your oven’s heat.
- Be energy smart — unplug devices, switch off at the socket, and use timers or smart plugs to save energy.
- Turn old towels or clothes into reusable cleaning cloths instead of buying new.
- Track your meter readings for a week and see if you can lower your energy use the next. 📊
Did you know?
If every UK household turned their thermostat down by just 1°C, we’d save the same amount of CO₂ as taking 3 million cars off the road!
The Winning Entry
Our Customer Sustainability Champions reviewed all the entries and their favourite tip was from Emma:
“I have turned my heating down to 18-19 degrees, I am vegetarian and always eat veggie/vegan dishes, I have changed the temperature for my washing from 40 to 30 degrees, I only have the light on if in the room, I try to buy seasonal fruits and vegetables as much as possible, all plugs that can be off when not in use are off (e.g. kettle socket off as soon as my water is boiled), I cook in batch as much as possible to have leftovers, I use the oven on colder days so I use less heating, 90% of the food I buy is organic (I only buy non organic if I don't have an organic option).”
Thank you to everyone who has taken part this month!
See below for all the carbon saving tricks and tips you sent in.
Share with us all the ways you have reduced your carbon this month
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Who's Listening
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Customer Engagement Specialist
I have got cavity wall and loft insulation which keeps my home cosy, also double glazing. In the morning I give the house a good old air-out by creating a drought for 5-10 minutes before turning the heating on and shutting all the windows again. I close the curtains after dusk. My thermostat is set on 20 C, one degree lower than the recommended 21-22 C. At night and when out, I turn it down to 15 C.
I only buy food what I actually need, any leftovers get used somehow. I always use a shopping list and stick to it, so no impulse-buys. I am a big fan of buying reduced items, it is good for my pocket and helps to reduce the retailer's food waste. Some stuff can be fed to the birds in the garden. I eat lots of fruit and vegetables and only a moderate amount of meat. Quite often my meal is fully vegetarian.
I only ever wash a full load and line-dry it, even in winter( I choose a dry day and finish it off indoors on a clothes airer and hanging clothes up on coat hangers. I have not got a dryer.
When I leave a room, the light gets switched off. I never leave the television or similar on standby. I turn the plugs off (kettle, microwave etc.) as soon as I finished using them. If I need boiling water for cooking vegetables, pasta or similar, I boil the water in the kettle first and then pour it into the pot, I get the food boiling in seconds, hence saving on gas and fossil fuel! Also, the leftover hot water in the kettle gets put into a flask and re-used next time, saving electricity and money.
I have showers instead of baths, saving on hot water.
I have not got a car, so I walk and cycle everywhere. My partner drives, but walks for short journeys and has a very low mileage. His car gets regularly serviced and looked after by his local garage to keep it running efficiently.
We use old towels etc for cleaning cloths and I buy lots of my few clothes I need from charity shop and do minor repairs myself. I also "shop my own wardrobe"
We have a local bring-and-buy shop called "Car Boot Trader" here locally, so everything I do not need anymore I bring in there and pick up the odd useful item in there for a fraction of the price then it would be brand new, so it is a win-win! Broken items I try to repair myself.
As for Christmas, I only send cards to a few selected people and write a short note to catch up. Received Christmas cards can be recycled as gift tags. My partner and me only exchange "edible" gifts, so no mindless buying of cheap novelty gifts made in China which only end up in the cupboard or the charity shop. We ignore the so-called gift lists and recommendations. My relatives in Germany looking forward to their annual calendar with local motives and my nephew gets a little something what he actually needs at the time like a well-chosen piece of clothing. We save ourselves all the Christmas stress by relaxing on Christmas Day with steak, chips and mushrooms after a nice walk and settle for afternoon tea with Christmas pudding from Tesco with a nice film or music documentary afterwards.
Some of the ways i reduce my carbon is by:
Eating plant based food - Transitioning to plant-based diets can reduce diet-related land use by 76%, diet-related greenhouse gas emissions by 49%, eutrophication by 49%, and green and green pastures by 98%.
I cycle or use an electric scooter whenever i can.
I usually try to batch cook on Mondays for a few days worth of food. Therefore i am using the oven and stove for multiple dishes to reduce energy usage and i don't have to cook everyday.
I reduce food waste, by buying products that are about to go out of date and eating them straight away for freezing them. E.g i freeze fruits and veg to put them in smoothies. I also use apps like Olio a waste reduction company, as well as Too Good Too Go, where you can buy discounted food that would otherwise end up in the bin.
I usually only buy second hand clothes, i also go to an eco shop where they do an item swap. You bring in an item of clothing and swap it for something on the rack.
I have lots of plants and grow food in my garden and allotment, offsetting more carbon emissions.
After this challenge, i have turned my heating down from 19degrees. I have not noticed that much of a difference. After some time i may even try another 1degress and go to 18.
Here are some of the ways I reduce carbon.
- I repair what I can, only buying new as a last resort.
- If I do need to buy new items, I choose products that are durable and long lasting.
- Instead of buying new clothes, I shop my wardrobe, trying different combinations of clothes that I already own.
- I meal plan for the week before going food shopping and write a shopping list, so I only buy what I need to avoid food waste and save money.
eco dishwasher and washing machine cycles
I don’t have kids, so that’s a major reduction. I don’t drive or have a vehicle, and I can’t afford to put my heating on. In essence, being poor is great for reducing your carbon footprint.
Some ways I try to reduce carbon
- I only run my washing machine when I have a full load, and turn the temperature down to 30
- I have a timer on my living room lights to avoid having them on longer than needed
- I use my slow cooker for soups and stews and avoid using my oven, instead use my air fryer for smaller meals
- I switch off all plugs that are not in use
- Where practical and as much as possible I am using buses and trains for additional travel, rather than using my car
I have turned my heating down to 18-19 degrees, I am vegetarian and always eat veggie/vegan dishes, I have changed the temperature for my washing from 40 to 30 degrees, I only have the light on if in the room, I try to buy seasonal fruits and vegetables as much as possible, all plugs that can be off when not in use are off (e.g. kettle socket off as soon as my water is boiled), I cook in batch as much as possible to have leftovers, I use the oven on colder days so I use less heating, 90% of the food I buy is organic (I only buy non organic if I don't have an organic option).