Climate change is a problem affecting us all. There is evidence that human emissions of greenhouse gases can change the world's climate. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is produced when we burn fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas for energy. Currently, burning fossil fuels emits just over 7 billion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year.

What can YOU do to help save our planet?

1. Only boil as much water as you need.
Electric kettles consume almost 30% of all the electricity an average UK home uses for cooking. Only boil as much water as you need. Fill to the MIN level. If everyone in the UK did this we'd save enough electricity to power two thirds of our street lighting.

2. Don't use your car for short journeys.
24% all car journeys are less than 2 miles. Cars consume most fuel at the start of their journey when the engine is cold. Walking or cycling for short journeys is better for your health, and would reduce the amount of CO2 emissions released into the air. Your car is more energy efficient if the tyres are inflated to the correct pressure too.

When using your car think about your driving habits. If you're in standing traffic it's a good idea to turn of the ignition (if you're likely to be stationery for 30 seconds or more you save fuel, and produce fewer emmissions). Always apply your hand-brake too, and take your foot away from the accelerator. Accelerate slower and gently, and try to avoid braking sharply. Keep your speed down - watch the rev counter or on-board computer and while you save fuel you're saving the planet too.

3. Dry your clothes outside or on a drying rack rather than in a Tumble Dryer.
In dryer weather, hanging your clothes outside rather than using the tumble dryer will reduce CO2 emissions. They'll dry quickly and smell fresh too. If you have space, then a clothes drying rack inside your home will dry your clothes just as effectively. If you do use a tumble dryer, fill it up, rather than putting on a number of small loads.

4. Replace light bulbs with energy-saving bulbs.
Using energy-saving light bulbs is an easy way of cutting your energy use. Just one energy saving light bulb can reduce your lighting costs by up to £100 over the lifetime of the bulb - and they last up to 12 times longer than ordinary light bulbs.

5. Turn off your appliances, rather than leaving them on standby.
In the UK around two power stations’ worth of electricity is wasted each year simply by leaving appliances like computers, printers and TVs on standby mode, or leaving chargers for appliances like mobile phones and electric toothbrushes switched. Mobile phone chargers left plugged in waste over £60 million and are responsible for a quarter of a million tonnes of CO2 every year alone. So turn off appliances using the main on/off switch (not the remote control) and unplug chargers when they are not in use.

6. Turn down thermostats.
Your heating bills may be burning a hole in your pocket, but they are also creating more CO2. Turn down your thermostat by just one degree. One degree lower can help reduce your bill by up to 10% and save you around £40 per year. Aim for a room temperature of around 19-20°C in your living room and around 18°C bedrooms.

7. Take a train, rather than a plane.
Aviation is the fastest growing source of CO2 emissions in the UK. Just one long haul return flight can give you the same amount of CO2 emissions as driving a car for a whole year. Travelling by rail instead of taking domestic flights, or short-haul flights to Europe, will save over 80% on CO2 emissions alone.

8. Cook in a microwave, rather than in a conventional oven.
Microwave cooking can make significant reductions in your energy bills as it is much more energy efficient than conventional ovens. You don’t even have to sacrifice your cooking skills as most microwaves these days allow you to do many of the cooking functions of a normal oven. Microwave ovens cook food faster than conventional ovens because the energy goes directly into heating the food and not into heating the oven.