Top five green New Year resolutions

Resolution #1: Cut down on water wastage

Water is a precious resource that shouldn't be wasted. Wasting water also wastes energy, because it takes large amounts of energy to clean and to pump it through the mains system to your home, and to heat it too.

• Take a shower instead of a bath. A typical bath can use over 100 litres of water, while a shower uses only about a third of that
• Buy a water butt to collect rainwater for the garden
• Put a water displacement device in your toilet cistern. This reduces the amount of water your cistern holds, and thus the amount of water used for each flush
• Fix drips. A dripping tap wastes about 15 litres of water a day - while a new washer costs just a few pence and can be fixed in minutes!

Resolution #2: Make your computer energy smart

Computers use large amounts of energy and are often left on at night or when not being used. But there are plenty of ways to reduce this wastage considerably:

• Switch your computer off at work when you go home, and switch off your home computer when you go to bed. Don't forget to switch off the monitor too
• Replace your traditional monitor with a newer flat screen LCD monitor. These use around a third less electricity
• Use the power saving features of your computer to switch off your computer's hard disk and monitor after they have been idle for 15 minutes. Over a year this will save around 9kg of carbon dioxide (CO ₂) - enough to fill 325 party balloons - over your one-hour lunch break alone, or more if you work away from your computer at times.

Resolution #3: Commit to saving 20 per cent

Resolutions are all about committing yourself so make a commitment to save energy. If we all save just 20% of the energy we use every day, together we can help fight climate change. Make your commitment today

Resolution #4: Aim for greener journeys

Every day millions of people drive to work, using up energy and producing enormous amounts of CO ₂. But there are a number of ways you can reduce this:

• Start a carpool scheme at your workplace by putting up a lift-share notice board and encouraging colleagues to get involved
• Organise your work so you can work from home one day a week but bear in mind that during the winter if you need to heat your home, you may end up generating more CO ₂ emissions than if you went to work
• Think cycling if you live within cycling distance of your workplace, then commuting by bike is a healthy alternative to driving. If you are an employee you can buy a new bicylce to travel to work VAT free through Cyclescheme. Go to Cyclescheme and encourage your employer to sign up.

For holidays, why not choose the train? It's quick and easy to visit many parts of Europe by train and there are also many fantastic holiday destinations in Britain that you may not have thought of visiting.

• Travelling by plane from London to Paris results in ten times more carbon dioxide emissions than the same journey made by train
• For information on timetables, fares and routes for train journeys from the UK to Europe and beyond visit Seat61
• Visit National Rail for information on train travel within the UK
• Visit Transport Direct for infomation on all journey options within the UK

Resolution #5: Green up your house

If you have some spare time to spend on your home this winter, why not do a little DIY to cut down on energy and water wastage. Here are a few ideas:

• Fit a low flow head on your shower, and place a water displacement device (a plastic bottle filled with water will do) in your toilet cistern to save water
• If you are planning on painting the house, choose products with low volatile organic compound (VOC) ratings marked on the tin. VOCs are harmful to humans and the environment
• Use energy saving lightbulbs. Just one can save you around £40 over the lifetime of the bulb - as they last up to 10 times longer than traditional lightbulbs and use less energy to produce the same amount of light. This saving could be up to £60 if you're replacing a very bright incandescent bulb, or one used for more than a few hours a day.