Sophie

Where is your flat and how old is it?

We use mostly energy efficient light-bulbs, only boil the kettle with as much water as we need. We also buy energy efficient products as much as we can, and recycle.

We also wash our clothes at 30 degrees and hang them out to dry instead of using a tumble dryer. I unplug my phone charger when not in use and don’t leave anything on standby. I make sure that the curtains are shut in the evenings to retain the heat – we have storage heaters but we only turn them on in the rooms that are being used.

As we rent the flat we couldn’t install draught-proofing, but we started buying energy efficient light bulbs as soon as we moved in and each time a traditional light bulb runs out, we replace it with an energy saving one. My flatmates were surprised at how cheap they are these days, and even more surprised when I told them how much longer they last than traditional bulbs!

Any lessons learned and any advice for other Londoners?

I think it was a real eye-opener for me and my three flatmates when we realised how much energy we could save by just changing small things about the way we live our lives.

When I eventually buy a home, I’ll definitely check that it has loft and cavity wall insulation straight away, and if it doesn’t, I’ll get it installed. I’d also like to look into renewable energy sources.

My advice to Londoners who own their homes would be to at least look into it. My next step will be to speak to our landlords and see if they are willing to make any changes to the flat to save energy.

What has been the impact on your life

Climate change seems to have become a genuine concern for everyday people now, as opposed to just politicians and ‘tree-huggers’.

It feels good to know that we’re ‘doing our bit’ for the environment as best we can. As well as that, our energy bills are really quite low now, which means more money to spend on nights out!