Incandescent light bulbs are being phased out in the UK over the next two years. Similar plans are in effect across the EU, and in other countries around the world. The Energy Saving Trust suggest that fitting one energy saving light bulb could save you £3 a year on your electricity bill - and if you swapped all the bulbs in your house you might save as much as £45. Visit the Energy Saving Trust website for more information.

Boilers account for around 60 per cent of all domestic CO2 emissions. Using a high efficiency condensing boiler with heating controls could save you between £190 and £240 a year, and significantly cut your home's CO2 emissions according to the Energy Saving Trust.

As the current lifespan of a boiler is 10-15 years, choosing a heating system with a high efficiency condensing boiler with the correct heating controls can make a huge difference to your heating bills over time. There may also be grants and offers available to help you install this sort of energy efficient heating system.

Have a look at the heating section of the EST website for details on what you might save.

Some appliances can use as much power during the 20 or so hours when they are left on standby, as they do during the 3 or 4 hours they are turned on and being used!

The Energy Savings Trust estimate that 'almost a £billion of electricity is wasted in the UK every year by appliances on standby'.

For more information on solar Water Heating, have a look at the BBC Bloom website. It is also worth noting that planning rules have changed over the last year making it simpler to put one on your roof in most instances, the official 'Planning Portal' has more information on this. 

The Energy Savings Trust suggest that if we all did this we'd save enough electricity to power two thirds of the street lighting in the UK! If you are using an electric kettle make sure that you always cover the element though!

For lots more energy-saving tips have a look at the Energy & Water Saving section of the Directgov website.

Try doing your washing at lower temperatures, for example 40 degrees rather than 60, or even 30!

Retailers such as ASDA are now telling their customers it is perfectly ok to wash clothes at just 30 degrees. See their press release for more details. This is also supported by washing powder manufacturers such as Ariel.

A thermostat on your hot water cyclinder keeps a check on the temperature of the water, turning off the supply from the boiler when it reaches the correct temperature. Have a look at the EST website for more information on this sort of thermostat.

The Energy Savings Trust suggest that insulating your hot water tank and exposed pipes could save you money, cut emissions, and pay for itself in 6 months to a year! By fitting a 'jacket' you could cut heat losses by as much as 75%!

You can buy them at DIY stores and they are easy to fit. If you already have one, make sure it is at least 75mm (3") thick, and replace it if not.

You can tell it is using power, as it will be warm, or it will have a light on!

Some appliances can use as much power during the 20 or so hours when they are left on standby, as they do during the 3 or 4 hours they are turned on and being used!

The Energy Savings Trust estimate that 'almost a £billion of electricity is wasted in the UK every year by appliances on standby'.

Installing cavity wall insulation could pay for itself in as little as three years, and then be saving you over £100 a year.

Have a look at more information on this on the Energy Saving Trust website.

There are many ways to reduce the emissions from your driving. Why not take an eco-driving awareness test, you may be suprised at how much you already know?

You can find lots of information about public transport at the Transport Direct website, or through your local Bus and Rail operator.

Ask around your office or workplace to see if any of your colleagues make a similar journey to you - maybe you could lift-share once a week, and take it in turns? Another option might be a car or lift share scheme. Have a look at Carshare.com to find a scheme in your area.

Have a look at the official UK Government vehicle emissions site, 'VCACarfueldata' for information on emissions for different car types and models. They also have details on vehicles that can run on alternative fuels.

It may also be worth looking at 'converting' your existing vehicle to run on lower carbon alternative fuels, as a lower cost alternative to replacing it - at the same time extending its life, and avoiding the emissions from building a new one!

Under inflated tyres create more resistance when your car is moving, which means your engine has to work harder, so more fuel is used (up to 3% - Energy Savings Trust) and more CO₂ emissions are produced.

Visit the Department for Transport website for more information on tips to reduce your energy use and emissions when driving.

Leave your car at home one day next week, and use public transport to get to work.

The challenge values are based on replacing one person in a car with public transport.

For information about public transport try the Transport Direct website (click here), or through your local Bus and Rail operator.

Use a mix of alternatives such as walking, Cycling, lift-share, park & ride & public transport.

The savings assume that you run a small car. The bigger your car the bigger the savings you could make!

Could you amalgamate journeys, or schedule them at different times to avoid making some of them?

How about alternatives such as walking, Cycling, lift-share, park & ride & public transport.

The savings assume that you run a small car. The bigger your car the bigger the savings you could make!

There is lots of information on cycling available on the Directgov Green Living website (click here), or at the website of the charity Sustrans who promote cycling - they have a section on commuting in their 'Get Cycling' pages.

Could you amalgamate journeys, or schedule them at different times to avoid making some of them?

How about alternatives such as walking, Cycling, lift-share, park & ride & public transport.

The carbs saved assume that you run a small car. The bigger your car the bigger the savings you could make!

See the driving tips on the governments 'Greener Living' website by clicking here, or on the 'Act on CO2' website.

If you normally jet off to the Mediterranean for your summer holidays, how about trying a holiday closer to home this year instead. There are loads of great places to stay in the UK and Ireland - look at the official tourism sites for Britain, and Ireland for lots of ideas.

As well as saving CO2, holidaying in Britain or Ireland also means you can avoid the worst effects of the increasingly common heatwaves in Southern European countries, like those in France in recent years, and take as much luggage as you want!

The Challenge savings assume you swap a flight to the med with a rail journey in the UK.

If possible try working from home one day a week, and save the CO2 from driving to work or getting the bus / train. Although not everyone can take advantage of this option because of the sort of work they do, many people may be able to organise their workload to make this an option - in fact your employer may support such a scheme already.

The savings assume you are making an 'average' car / public transport commute, and don't make any allowance for extra energy you may use at home. 

Whether it is culture, nightlife or the beach, there are so many exciting places to see and visit in Europe, so try short-haul instead of long-haul for a change.

You could easily cut as much as 2500kg CO2 off of your annual carbon total by looking closer to home this year (the difference between Jamaica and Greece!)

The Challenge rewards you with carbon savings of 2500kg if you normally travel to somewhere like the West Indies, Goa, S.Africa or the Seychelles for your sun, and instead 'soak up the rays' nearer to home in Europe.

If you make multiple flights to Europe each year, then think about taking one less over the coming year. This could save you up to 500kg of CO2 depending on which part of the continent you travel to.

The Challenge saving is based on one return flight not being taken to Spain.

Savings can also be achieved by using 'high-speed' rail instead of flying to many European destinations. Have a look at the Seat61 website for lots on information on this option.

Have a look at websites like Allotment Growing, the National Society of Allotment Growers, or Allotments UK for more information. You can also contact your Local Authority for details of allotments in your area.

Make the most of the kerbside collection that your council provide, as well as any extra facilities at local supermarkets. Try and recycle plastic bottles, food and garden waste, as well as the usuals like paper, glass and cans. 

A great way of recycling kitchen waste is to compost it. Click here for some more information about home composting.

Recycling paper, bottles and cans helps keep rubbish out of landfill, and can be recycled into new products - in the case of glass and aluminium saving substantial amounts of energy. Don't forget to look out for recycled products when you are shopping as well.

Check out 'recycle more', and the 'recycling guide'.

Most supermarkets, and many small retailers now offer an organic option when you are looking for fruit and vegetables. Because organic agriculture uses less oil-based inputs, you can save on your carbon emissions.

The Soil Association, who promote organic agriculture claim that there are 'numerous studies' showing 'CO2 emissions from organic farming are in general 15-30% lower per hectare than conventional systems'.

Try using only seasonal and local food for the next month. Avoid food that has flown around the world, or been grown in artificial conditions - such as heated greenhouses, and re-discover local favourites. There are also nutritional, and some would argue, taste, benefits from eating fresher food that hasn't been picked before ready and then transported for days or weeks.

You could also visit your local Farmers Market to find out what is fresh and on sale now, or find out what is available and where by looking at websites such as 'Big Barn', or one of the many websites that celebrate local food in our region.

Have a look at the advice on food and drink on the Greener Living website (click here).

Most supermarkets, and many small retailers now offer an organic option when you are looking for fruit and vegetables. Because organic agriculture uses less oil-based inputs, you can save on your carbon emissions.

The Soil Association, who promote organic agriculture claim that there are 'numerous studies' showing 'CO2 emissions from organic farming are in general 15-30% lower per hectare than conventional systems'.

Try buying local and seasonal produce for a week. Rather than selecting from the same choice of fruit and vegetables on the shelf each week - some flown half-way around the world to be here, check out what is in season, and being grown locally to you.

You could also visit your local Farmers Market to find out what is fresh and on sale now, or find out what is available and where by looking at websites such as 'Big Barn', or one of the many websites that celebrate local food in our region.

Meat production is a major source of greenhouse gases (18% of emissions according to a UN Food and Agriculture Organisation report in November 2006), and levels of consumption are rising around the world.

More information on the issues around meat consumption can be found on the following websites, 'BBC News', and 'Compassion in world farming'.

The things we buy all have a 'carbon footprint', and depending on how much we consume, and what products and services we choose, this can amount to as much as three tonnes of CO2.

Soon we will begin to see what these values are, as the major retailers plan to label what they sell with carbon values (see Tesco's plans for example by clicking here).

By making choices about our consumption, how much and what, we can reduce the carbon emissions substantially. Think about how long things might last, can the life be extended by repair or alteration, are there other uses for things, and what about second-hand goods?