Housing: why EcoTree has implemented eco-contributions

There are two ways we can calculate your carbon footprint at home. The best way is if you know how much energy you use per month.

If you don't know how much energy you use, no problem! Just tell us the type and size of house, fuel for heating and when your house was built.

We'll then either estimate your energy consumption or use your monthly figures to calculate the carbon footprint of your household.

Finally we suggest the number of trees you could plant over a particular of time to greatly reduce your carbon impact.

Improve insulation

Seal doors and windows properly and improve overall insolation in your home to reduce the amount of heat lost.

Generate electricity

Install solar panels that could provide renewable electricity for your home.

Avoid the tumble dryer

Hang your clothes out to dry instead of using the tumble dryer.

Replace lights

LED lights use up to 85% less energy, last up to 25 times longer and are cheaper to run.

Reduce hot water

Install a low-flow showerhead to reduce how much hot water you use.

Turn it off

Turn off your appliances at the power outlet to use less energy. Next best thing? Put them in sleep mode.

Wash at 30°C

Wash at 30°C instead of 40°C to use 38% less energy. Or 20°C to reduce energy use by 62%. That's like taking 634,000 cars off the road!

Choose renewables

Do some research and, if possible, pick an energy supplier that runs on renewables.

Set your fridge and freezer temperatures

Don't set temperatures lower than you need. Use less energy with the recommended 1-3°C for your fridge and -18°C for your freezer.

Replace your desktop computer

Desktop computers take more energy to run than a laptop, so consider switching if possible.

Take shorter showers

Cut your daily shower from eight to four minutes and save up to 350 kilograms of CO₂ a year.

Adapt your thermostat

Raise the temperature on your heating thermostat in winter and raise it in summer. In hot weather, use a fan that uses less electricity.

Calculate and reduce your housing's CO₂ emissions