If you are renting your home, there are limits to what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. It is not possible to make permanent changes and install heat pumps, double glazed windows or install solar panel roofs without the landlord’s permission. But it’s still possible to reduce your carbon footprint by managing your household in an efficient way if you follow these steps.

Switch to a renewable energy supplier

Buying your energy from a renewable energy supplier can reduce your carbon footprint by a massive 1.5 tons alone! Its the most effective way of cutting emissions with little effort and renewable energy providers do not cost more.

Change all light bulbs to LED lights

LED lights are more efficient than any other light bulb. Avoid buying traditional incandescent light bulbs which waste energy as heat rather than light. This will save £45 on your yearly energy bill. 

Switch off standby and switch off lights when you are not using them

It is estimated by the Energy Saving Trust that we waste 9% to 16% of our electricity bill on keeping appliances on standby – just by having them plugged in when we are not using them. Wasting energy increases our carbon footprint and money. It is estimated by the Energy Saving Trust that switching off standby would save £45 a year.

Surveys also show we waste energy when we don’t bother to switch off a light in the room when we leave the room. The worst situations are when we keep them on while we go out for the day or keep them on the in the night when we are sleeping. Apparently the most likely place to accidentally keep lights on is in the bathroom.

Set your washing machine and dishwasher on a colder setting

When washing your clothes, set your washing machine and dishwasher at the lowest temperature. This will save money on your energy bill as well as lower your CO₂ emissions from washing clothes and dishes.

Reduce your food waste

It is estimated that the average UK household throws away the equivalent of 8 meals a week! Be aware of whether you need the food you are buying and avoid buy one get one free offers or two for three offers. Remember that best before end dates simply mean when the food is at its freshest, so you don’t have to automatically throw it away at that date. Also, freezers keep food fresh for longer.

Have a shorter shower on a cooler setting

Energy is needed to filter, heat and pump in your home. The less water you use, the less energy is needed, which reduces your carbon footprint. Simply reducing your time in the shower by a minute can make a big difference. Limiting your showers to 4 minutes will save you £40 a year. Lowering the temperature of your shower also means you are using less energy and could lower your bill and carbon footprint further. Just having a shower instead of a bath makes a big difference. This saves a huge amount of water as baths take up much more warm water than a shower.

Use an air fryer to cook food

Air-fryers are a very efficient and versatile method of cooking. They do not cost much and can easily replace an oven. Air-fryers act like a small convention fan oven and are increasingly becoming popular in the UK because they cook food faster than an oven, they are easier to clean and healthier for us because oil is not needed to cook food.

It is possible to make all kinds of meals in an air fryer, even roast dinners! Research by the Energy Saving Trust shows cooking 600g of chicken breast would cost 14p with an air-fryer and 24p with an electric oven. Air-fryers use significantly less energy than an oven and surveys of those who have an air-fryer say they have seen a reduction in their energy bill. It saves energy, money and will cook healthier meals! It’s a win-win for you and the planet.

Get plug-in solar panels

Plug-in solar panels are a great alternative if you are not allowed to make permanent changes to your property. You can put them on balconies to manage spikes in energy bills. However, you do need to get permission from landlords to get plug in solar panels.

Other small actions

There are more easy actions to make around the home that save energy, water and money. Putting a toilet hippo in the cistern saves water when you flush the toilet, filling the kettle only as much as you need to saves energy and water, and buying an insulation jacket for your hot water cylinder reduces your water heating bill. All these actions add up and can save a huge amount a year on energy bills.