Although the Council has committed to making its own operations carbon neutral by 2030, less than 1% of the borough’s emissions are within its direct control.
Achieving a carbon neutral Reigate & Banstead by 2050 will only be possible if we all make changes to reduce our contribution to climate change.
You'll find some ideas for changes you could make below. Remember:
- It’s OK to start with some quick wins to get into good habits before taking up some more challenging changes.
- Lots of people making lots of small, lower impact changes will all add up.
- Many changes, such as taking a short shower rather than a bath, could see you saving money immediately.
- Some high impact changes, such as insulating your home, do require financial investment. Keep an eye on the My Sustainable Home webpages for details of funding schemes you may be eligible for.
Ideas for a smaller carbon footprint
We’ve set these ideas out so you can see how much of an impact each change might make on reducing your carbon footprint. We've highlighted some that are easy to do for a quick win (*) or good for saving you money without costing a lot upfront (£).
You can download the tables below as a printable PDF document here.
Energy in the home
| Low impact | Medium impact | High impact |
|---|---|---|
| Draught proof your home, including blocking up any open chimneys (considering ventilation)*£ | Turn the thermostat down by 1°C and you could reduce the energy you use for heating by 10%*£ | Switch to a renewable energy tariff* |
| Change to LED light bulbs*£ | Get solar PV or solar thermal panels for your roof | Install roof and wall insulation and you could save £350 each year |
| Don't overfill the kettle - boil only the water you need*£ | Use smart heating controls | Double glaze your windows and doors |
| Take a shower instead of a bath and you could save up to £250 annually*£ | Replace your gas boiler with a heat pump (after you've insulated your home) |
Transport
| Low impact | Medium impact | High impact |
|---|---|---|
| Practise eco driving - for example driving at 50 mph uses less fuel than 70 mph*£ | Walk or cycle more, particularly for short, local journeys*£ | Switch to an electric car |
| Car share | Switch from driving to taking public transport more often | Fly less and fly economy class - try staycations for leisure and video conferencing for business£ |
Food
| Low impact | Medium impact | High impact |
|---|---|---|
| Buy locally grown and seasonal food* | Cut down on dairy | A plant-based diet is best, but try cutting down on red meat - producing 1 kg of beef emits up to 50 times more greenhouse gases than 1 kg of peas*£ |
| Cook at home more instead of getting takeaways*£ | Eat all the food you buy so you waste less*£ | |
| Look for reduced or no packaging options when you shop* |
Outdoors
| Low impact | Medium impact | High impact |
|---|---|---|
| Avoid artificial fertilisers which have a high carbon footprint* | Plant a tree in your garden – each tree can soak up 1 tonne C02 in its lifetime | Join or volunteer with a nature conservation organisation like Surrey Wildlife Trust, Tree Wardens Network or one of our local community tree planting groups |
| Keep food waste out of landfill to reduce methane – turn it into compost (or recycle as food waste) instead*£ | Ditch the petrol mower - use an electric one or let your grass grow a bit to help wildlife | |
| Stop buying peat-based compost – buy peat free or use your own* |
Notes: *easy to do for a quick win; £good for saving you money without large upfront costs
Further information
Visit the Environmental sustainability homepage for more information about what the Council is doing and the changes we can all make.