Intelligent You

Over 40% of the UK’s man-made CO₂ emissions come from energy we use everyday, at home and when we travel. By reducing our personal CO₂ emissions we can all play an important part in helping to prevent climate change and reduce our energy bills too!

Generate your own power - you can afford it!

Installing your own renewable energy generating system is now a realistic option for everyone thanks to the Feed-in Tariffs (FITS) government backed scheme which commenced on 1st April 2010. Under this scheme energy suppliers will pay you regular payments for generating your own electricity from renewable or low carbon sources such as solar panels or wind turbines. What’s more, the tariffs have been designed so that the average monthly income you receive will be significantly greater than the monthly repayments on the loan you may have taken in order to pay for the installation (assuming a 25-year loan). So you can actually make money and reduce your electricity bills too, plus help to save emissions and finite resources. For more information on FITS visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

Pay As You Save pilots - could you benefit?

Pay As You Save (PAYS) is an innovative finance solution that will give households the opportunity to invest in energy efficiency (such as solid wall insulation) and microgeneration technologies (such as solar panels) in their homes with no upfront cost. Householders will make repayments spread over a long enough period so that repayments are lower than their predicted energy bill savings, meaning financial and carbon savings are made from day one. £4 million in funding is available for this pilot scheme from 2009 - 2011, with around 500 homes from Birmingham, London Borough of Sutton, Sunderland, Stroud, Surrey and Sussex being offered the chance to receive a whole house energy makeover. If you are a homeowner in one of these areas and are interested in applying visit www.gentoosunderland.com (Sunderland), www.target2050@swea.co.uk (Stroud), www.sutton.gov.uk/pays (Sutton), or telephone 0800 107 0187 (Surrey and Sussex), and email PAYS@est.org.uk (Birmingham)

Don’t put up with an old boiler

Domestic heating accounts for an astounding 14% of the UK’s CO₂ emissions. New boilers have rated efficiencies of 90 per cent or more meaning that they use less fuel, resulting in lower CO₂ emissions and running costs. By upgrading your G-rated boiler to an A-rated one your household heating bill should drop by about a quarter - a saving, on average, of around £235 a year. Of course, renewable heat technologies do not use fossil fuels, reducing CO₂ emissions still further. If you are considering replacing your old boiler with a heat pump, biomass boiler, or solar hot water system then you may be eligible for a grant of up to £2500 towards installation: visit the Low Carbon Buildings Programme website - www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk - for more details.

Easy ways to save

Reducing energy consumption reduces costs as well as emissions so it really does make sense. You probably know all the easy ways to do this but did you know just how much money you could save? For example, a properly insulated home saves, on average, £180 per year; replacing an ordinary light bulb with an energy saving one can save an astounding £60 over its lifespan; and did you know that leaving your TV on standby can use the same amount of energy as when it’s playing?

Driving to save emissions

Making simple adjustments to the way you drive can improve your fuel consumption, so saving both money and emissions.

Cut your vehicle’s CO₂ emissions when driving your car

There are a few easy things you can do when you drive and look after your car to help reduce the amount of fuel you burn and so cut down on CO₂ emissions. The key is to reduce the amount of work your engine has to do, because the greater the workload, the more fuel is burned – so the higher the CO₂ emissions. By following the smarter driving tips below you could cut your CO₂ emissions by around 8% – equivalent to an annual fuel saving of up to one month per year.

Pump up your tyres

Under-inflated tyres create more resistance when your car is moving. That means your engine has to work harder, so more fuel is used and more CO₂ emissions are produced. Check and adjust your tyre pressures regularly and also before long journeys. This will also help to increase the life of your tyres.

Under-inflated tyres increase CO₂ but over inflated tyres can be unsafe, so check your car manual for the correct tyre pressure. Remember, a car with a heavier load may need different air pressure in the tyres.

Clear out any extra weight

Clutter in your boot is extra weight your engine has to carry around. By removing it, you could reduce your engine’s workload. Remove roof racks and carriers when not in use to reduce the drag factor as this too will mean you burn less fuel and so cut your CO₂ emissions.

Have your vehicle serviced regularly

An under-serviced engine may have to work harder as it’s less likely to be operating at its optimum efficiency. This can be inefficient, which can reduce fuel economy. Service requirements can vary from car to car so do check the manufacturer’s recommendations for servicing in the owner’s manual supplied with the vehicle or with your local dealer.

Drive at an appropriate speed

Driving above the speed limit is illegal, but also means you use more fuel, and emit more CO₂. Staying within the 70mph speed limit on motorways can bring savings of around 10% for your fuel bill compared to driving at 80mph.

Speed up and slow down smoothly

Every time you stop then start again in a traffic queue, the engine uses more fuel and therefore produces more CO₂. Keep an eye on the traffic ahead and slow down early by gently lifting your foot off the accelerator while keeping the car in gear.

When the engine is idling you’re wasting fuel and adding to CO₂ emissions. If you’re likely to be at a standstill for more than three minutes, simply switch off the engine.

Further savings can be achieved by opting for the Colt ClearTec or ASX which both come with Auto Stop and Go (automatically cuts the engine when at a standstill and instantly re-starts when the driver depresses the clutch pedal) The TC-SST is available in the Lancer Evolution X, Lancer Ralliart and Outlander models.

Change gears at lower revs

Revving does not help to warm up a modern car engine or improve its performance. In fact, over revving simply wastes fuel and increases engine wear. Using your gears wisely by changing up a little earlier can reduce revs, and so reduce fuel usage. If you drive a diesel car, try changing up a gear when the rev counter reaches 2000rpm. For a petrol car, change up at 2500rpm.

Further savings can be achieved by opting for Mitsubishi Twin Clutch SST transmission which provides fast, smooth, lag-free gear changes alongside a fuel economy which is equivalent to or even better than that with a manual transmission.

Don’t use air conditioning unless you really need it

Using your air conditioning can increase your fuel consumption so keep usage to a minimum to save on fuel and CO₂ emissions. At speeds above 50-60mph it is generally more efficient to keep windows closed, even if this means using the aircon, as open windows will increase drag.