What we can do about it

In environmental terms, households are responsible for about 27 per cent of the UK's carbon emissions and account for almost 33 per cent of the nation's total energy consumption.

So any serious attempt to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions has to involve ways to reduce energy use in people's homes.

Since 1970, the demand from UK households has increased by 32 per cent with the growth of electrical and electronic goods, central heating systems and use of lighting outstripping efforts to curtail demand through better insulation and more energy efficient goods.

According to Government figures home energy use can be broken as follows:

• 61 per cent is used for heating
• 23 per cent for hot water
• 3 per cent for cooking 
• 13 per cent for lighting and electrical appliances.

Why not try reducing your home electricity consumption by using a Current Cost Energy Monitor?

We have made Current Cost Energy Monitors available to Derbyshire residents, through a library loan scheme.

Current Cost Monitors are designed to inform users of real-time electricity usage and actual cost. The monitors encourage users to change their behaviour and reduce waste.

The monitors are helping households save around £60-70 and up to 0.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.