It can sometimes feel like our homes are designed to test just how green we really are, and how far our willpower will stretch before we reach for those labour-saving mod cons that guzzle energy like there's no tomorrow.

Friends of the Earth is a name to be trusted in all matters green, so their guide to saving energy is well worth a read. The tips are all designed to become 'second nature' pretty quickly.

I've collected together some of the most useful tips here: read them after the jump.

Related: How to make your fridge a greener place | hand-knitted fairtrade snake saves energy, eats draughts

GlowPaint, a company until now concerned primarily with the needs of ravers and cyber-goths, has announced that it has a new light-emitting product that could help save the planet as it is self-fuelling and completely non-toxic.

Called 'Litroenergy', its newest innovation will glow in the dark for an estimated 15 years (as opposed to the usual 15 minutes of a glo-stick) and requires no re-charging throughout its entire lifespan. The Klaxons would not approve.

Yes that's right; it's another device that alleges to give you the power to switch off climate change using a hand-held remote control. But let's hear out the claims...

The One For All Energy Saver works roughly on the same principles as Bye Bye standby and EcoElectricals' auto switch off lead, i.e. by appealing to the laziness of the user. It basically allows you to switch off a number of appliances from standby with a single button press, so you don't have to root around under the sofa or behind the TV turning off gadgets individually. So how does it compare?

Related: Hippyshopper's guide to saying goodbye to standby

It may seem strange that a printer of any sort should get the thumbs up from an environmental body, but the Energy Saving Trust has just granted Epson its energy saving recommendation label; the first to appear on a printer.

The recommendation was based on three criteria; energy (Watts) used when the printer is on-ready to use, energy used in sleep mode and energy used when on standby. The only question in my mind is should the EST really be endorsing a technology that uses paper where greener alternatives may be available?

My tech knowledge is not exactly first rate, but I do know that as gadgets get more advanced they tend to get steadily more tiny. So it was good to hear that a new 'micro mini' compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) was launched earlier this week, suggesting that low energy lighting is coming on in leaps and bounds.

Actress Kelly Rutherford was at the swanky LIGHTCongress show in New York to launch the new bulbs, which are designed to replace the 60-watt incandescent and fit into virtually any light fixture to provide instant, appealing and energy-efficient light.

[Via Haute*Nature]

Want to do something positive to show your concern about global warming? This weekend it could be as easy as turning off a light, as a worldwide demonstration for more action against climate change is taking place, with those wishing to show support staging a one hour 'lights out'.

The hour between 8 and 9pm GMT on Saturday 29th March has been designated Earth Hour by the World Wildlife Fund and anyone can participate by switching off lights, TVs, computers (sorry folks!) and other electrical appliances.

Want to know the best way to spend your time in a blackout? Check our suggestions out here.

With all the scaremongering around CFL bulbs and health, I'm often surprised at how many people don't know the correct way to dispose of CFL bulbs, or deal with broken ones. The procedure is pretty simple, and the chances of anything going horribly wrong virtually zero. So here's a quick reminder on what to do in case of breakage.

The official DEFRA guideline on this matter states that 'although the accidental breakage of a lamp is most unlikely to cause any health problems, it's good practice to minimise any unnecessary exposure to mercury, as well as risk of cuts from glass fragments.' Follow the jump for full instructions on how do go about this.

Related: Are you OK with low energy lightbulbs?

Whatever will we do with all those electricity sockets once solar and renewable energy makes them totally redundant? Perhaps not the most pressing concern of the 21st century environmentalist, but one we should indulge, because it's led to some really amusing design ideas...

Scott Amron has created some rather inventive 'socket stuffers' that symbolise our determination not to rely on mains electricity - or something. He calls these 'die electrics'; insulating materials that use power plugs and sockets without the need for electricity. His website showcases these ideas, which include a socket-mounted flower pot, a handy toothbrush holder, and towel hook. In each case, the object is held secure with the attachment of a normal electric plug, but no current is allowed to pass. Neat! [Via Alternative Consumer]

Green was the new gold at last night's Oscars. Though we might have seen Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Tilda Swinton and Javier Bardem bathed in some very bright spotlights, behind the scenes efforts were made to create the greenest Oscar night yet.

Academy President Sid Ganis announced the green technology ahead of the ceremony in the wake of rumours that hybrid and zero-emission vehicles would be used to ferry the production staff and glitterati to the show. This indeed turned out to be true, thanks to General Motors, and all generators used on site were powered by a mix that included bio-diesel fuels. On top of that one hundred percent of the energy used for the Oscars telecast and Governors Ball was supplied by wind power. Finally, a substantial majority of food service ware was reusable or biodegradable, with programs, invitations and other paper materials including a minimum 30% post-consumer recycled content.

[via Shiny Shiny]

This fab fairtrade, hand-knitted 'yard snake' is new at Branch and stole my heart with his stripey bod and droopy grin. And adopting him means you're helping to create income and ultimately a better life for these artisans and their families.

Made by women who belong to a collective of knitters in rural Kenya, the snake is made of natural wool yarn, treated with non-toxic vegetable-based dyes. His practical function (other than scaring off burglars, looking cool and serving as a great plaything for visiting toddlers) is keeping draughts away from your windows and doors, thus saving C02 in these cold times. $36.00 at Branch

If you succumbed to Shiny Gadget Syndrome but still want to do your bit for the environment, you need some clever technology to help you. That's where Current State comes in. It's an iPhone application that lets you monitor and control your power usage straight from the elegant handset.

You can turn plugs on and off, activate timers and keep track of everything remotely, simply by using plug-ends that bridge power sockets and sync to your phone. There's even a feature to show you "hotspots" of energy wastage so you can always tell how green your life is.

Just one hitch; it's a concept. Someone make it, please!

[via Shiny Shiny]

Ecobutton, the latest energy saving gadget for PCs works not by preventing your computer going into standby altogether, but instead, allows you to put it into a low-energy mode that will quickly revert to full working function.

By putting your computer into a special 'ecomode', Ecobutton saves more energy than normal sleep mode, drawing only the same nominal power as when the computer and the monitor are completely shut down. It helps you save energy while taking a phone call or a break, while doing paperwork, lunch or meetings. At the touch of any button, the computer instantly returns to where you left off and displays a splash screen showing both money and carbon (CO2) savings.

[Via Ecofriend]

It's a whopping £349, but isn't it beautiful? Best of all, for this award-winning lamp, which features in London's Design Museum and New York's MOMA collection, Herman Miller insisted on sticking to basic eco-conscious priniciples such as using energy-saving LEDs. The final product is also 95% recyclable and made of 24% post-consumer plus 13% pre-consumer recycled materials.

A proprietary heat distribution system means that the Leaf light is always cool to the touch, and it swivels up to 180 degrees so that it can be used as a soft ambient glow or focussed spotlight. Touch controls are mounted at the base and the intensity of the colour can be adjusted from a cool wash to a warm glow; it'll remember the last setting you used when you turn it off, too. There are five colours available: black, white, red, nickel and polished aluminium.

[via Shiny Shiny]

The Steaming Hot Water Tap ought to be appealing to eco-conscious caffeine addicts as it combines the sort of quick-boiling technology we saw in the Tefal Quick Cup with a normal tap. Turn on, and it delivers 98 degree hot water. Not only will that mean super-quick hot drinks, you can speed up the boiling process for boiling pasta, rice and veg as well as use less energy all round.

There is a hot / cold filtered version available too. The only sticking point is the price, at £444 for hot only and £498 for hot / cold, but if you're already putting together a budget for a new kitchen it's worth considering for the convenience and eco-friendly value; budget sites like Taps4Less also offer discounts. But don't explain why all budget retailers have a 4 in the name. Or a 2. Huh.

[via Shiny Shiny]

If you're looking for a last minute treat to give your home a bit more festive cheer before the big day, a set of eco-friendly LED lights will work a treat to brighten up those dark corners.

It's too late to order online now, but Ikea is selling some really funky colourful star-shaped eco-lights. Each tiny light uses just 0.6 watts -- that's far less than a CFL energy-saving bulb.

Outdoor light displays are the real culprits when it comes to C02 usage, but the Guardian's guilde to a low-carbon Christmas still points out that conventional Christmas tree lights left on for 10 hours a day over the 12 days of Christmas produces "enough CO2 to inflate 12 balloons".

Need convincing? Click here for a video of us testing out Oliver Heath's fantastic colour-changing LED fairy lights to see how they compare to the traditional sort.