Archived press release

Save cash, save the planet

8 February 2005

Greening your lifestyle is not only good for the environment, but could save you £100s or even £1000s according to a new guide from Collins and Friends of the Earth published on Monday 7^th March [1]. Save Cash and Save the Planet includes simple tips on how to save energy, detox your house and be a smarter shopper, while helping the environment and your budget too.

`At last! A friendly read that can help you save money while saving the planet! Becoming a domestic eco-warrior has never been so easy - or so cool!' Jonathan Ross

Intended for busy people who feel they don't have time to change the world, the guide is broken down into bite size chapters with top tips and real life examples for tackling different areas of everyday life. From homes and transport, to finance and holidays, the guide and its sister website (www.savecashsaveplanet.org) spell out how individuals can be part of the solution to the environmental problems we face.

The book, printed on de-inked 100 per cent post-consumer waste, is based on the principle of reducing our impact on the planet - if everyone in the world shared our UK lifestyles, we would need another eight planets to satisfy our demands.

Friends of the Earth Director Tony Juniper said:

"For too long, going green has been classed as being good for your conscience but bad for your quality of life. This guide shows that what's good for the planet is also good for your budget and can improve the quality of your life too. Most of us cherish a clean and safe environment - this book tells you how we can all help this to be achieved."

Top tips featured in the book include:

• Fit energy saving light bulbs around the house and save yourself £7 a year or £65 over their lifetime. Switch to a green energy tariff and do the planet a bigger favour.
• Eat less meat - meat is expensive and meat farming is resource intensive and a major source of pollution
• Insulate your home - draft insulation makes your home warmer and also saves money, while insulating your roof will save up to £180 a year
• Use lemon juice and white vinegar to clean kitchen and bathroom surfaces - and leave the bottles of bathroom and kitchen cleaner on the supermarket shelf
• Join a car club and save up to £3,470 a year on the cost of running a car. If you are buying a new car, chose a fuel efficient model - it could save you up to £900 a year.
• Learn how to drive fuel efficiently, so reducing the cost and the level of climate changing carbon dioxide emissions.
• Take the train and not the plane. Flying is the fastest growing source of carbon dioxide emissions and going by train can be cheaper and may even save time.
• Buy less - swap and share items like garden and diy equipment instead
• Reduce your rubbish - and make your own compost,
• Save water in the home - have a water butt in the garden and a hippo in the loo.

Save Cash and Save the Planet author Andrea Smith said:

"Using the information in this book, a family in an average three-bed semi with gas heating could save £200 a year on their energy bills. If you can afford to ignore that, you must have money to burn"

Co-author and Friends of the Earth Editor Nicola Baird added:

"As a working mum, I know that being green has to be practical, easy and not cost the earth. My top tip is to walk the kids to school and use a car club vehicle for longer trips. Walking to school reduces your impact on climate change, saves money and can be fun as well."

Notes

[1] Save Cash and Save the Planet is published by Collins on 7^th March 2005 priced £12.99.

Information from the book will be previewed on a special new website at: www.SaveCashSavePlanet.org

Save Cash and Save the Planet was written by Andrea Smith and Nicola Baird.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust