How To: Give your home a green MOT

A hefty chunk of our carbon footprint originates at home, particularly during the winter months, so now's the time to look behind your front door and find out how it's all looking. Is your home part of the problem or can you do a bit of tinkering so that everyday your life actually has a positive impact? A few changes you might consider making include:

• Switching to a greener energy tariff like Good Energy's 100% renewable option. This is helpful because not only are you avoiding relying on energy derived from C02-producing methods, you're also investing in renewable energy, which will ultimately make it available to more people and drive costs down.

• Don't forget that artificially cooling things down uses up just as much energy as does heating them up. In an average home, your fridge is the main cuprit, so follow these simple instructions on how to keep your fridge from becoming an electricity-guzzling monster. Or if you're a real hippy, you could always ditch the frige in favour of a zeer pot.

• Have a good look at how you're handling waste at present. Recycling of non-perishable items is a good start, but if you're not already composting food waste, now's a good time to start as you'll have litre upon litre of liquid feed to give hungry plants come springtime. You can either buy a small composting bin and see how you get on or go all out and purchase or create a worm farm of your own.

• Every household in the UK is eligible for at least 50 per cent off loft and cavity wall insulation. If your home hasn't been insulated, find out about how you can do this yourself. If you rent, speak to your landlord or letting agency, who should carry out this work on your behalf. Direct Gov has some useful info on your rights, here.

• Reducing draughts throughout the house. Make sure you check under doors, windows and any old fireplaces then find ways of plugging them up.

• Stick reflective paper or tin foil behind any radiators - this will make them throw out more heat

• Think about taking unnecessary, energy-guzzling applicances like tumble dryers and backup heaters out of service unless you really need them

• Install standby-stopping gadgets on your PC, TV and other appliances that are in danger of being left on 24/7

• Make sure you have only energy saving lightbulbs in your lamps

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