Which? members John and Vanessa Waters tried out the Defra calculator to work out their family’s carbon footprint.

Once he had overcome a couple of technical glitches, John said he found the website user-friendly and easy to navigate.

The Waters were particularly keen on the energy-saving advice report generated by the site, which they say has given the family some eye-opening tips to help them reduce their carbon footprint.

John said: ‘I was interested to find out that adjusting the contrast on the TV and computer monitor make a difference to your emissions. I also learned that the fridge uses most energy – I need to look into getting a new one.’

The Waters felt that there was room for improvement on the website. For example, John was hoping to learn exactly how much energy he could save by following the recommended actions, such as insulating his loft or correctly inflating his car tyres.

John also felt that the site’s advice to consider buying a low emissions car seemed odd given that the family already owns a Ford Galaxy which hasbeen adapted to run on eco-friendly Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

Commenting on his carbon footprint, John told us: ‘It’s difficult to think that my emissions will make a difference given the global nature of this problem. Maybe it’s a bit like not dropping litter – a question of social responsibility.
The real solution has to be elsewhere though, with international agreements and corporate responsibility.’

Go to www.which.co.uk for more information.

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