Will recession create a greener UK?

While energy efficiency may have been on the minds of many Britons for some time, as they invest in greener technology such as condensing boilers, solar panels and ground or air source heat pumps, it may in fact be the credit crunch which reduces the country's carbon footprint.

According to the International Energy Agency, this year will see man-made carbon emissions across the globe fall by three per cent and researchers believe that the recession has been the main driver for this due to less industrial work taking place.

And the group is now claiming that this drop is the perfect opportunity for organisations and countries to invest more in renewable and green energy technology.

Britons may wish to do their own bit for the planet by getting their home central heating systems into a more energy efficient state.

There are a number of ways that this can be achieved, no matter what a person's budget.

Households who feel they are already financially stretched could add to their savings by taking straightforward action to make sure that their energy bills are as low as possible.

The Energy Saving Trust advises that simple steps can help to achieve this goal, such as taking the time to bleed each radiator in the house before turning on central heating systems for the winter.

This involves making sure all radiators are first turned off for some hours to ensure they are cool, before releasing any trapped air bubbles which may be in the units.

Placing a towel under the radiator can catch any water which spills out and once the water begins to drip out, it means that they have been bled effectively and will be able to work to their maximum efficiency.

For consumers who have more money to spend, there are a number of home heating products they may wish to invest in.

One of these which the Energy Saving Trust recommends is heating controls, which can be used to ensure that only rooms which are occupied are heated, ensuring that heat is not wasted on rooms which are not occupied.

The controls could also be used if people are planning to go away for a few days over the winter, as making sure central heating comes on for a few hours a day can help to prevent water in pipes from freezing and expanding which can cause the pipes to burst.

Should this occur, Britons may be left with a costly repair bill.

In addition, a new gas boiler could make a real difference to energy bills.

The trust states that the most energy efficient gas boiler currently on the market for domestic housing is the condensing boiler, which works by condensing any water vapour which an older boiler would release as waste back into hot liquid to heat the home and its water supply.

If households have a boiler which is over 15 years old, it is unlikely to be working to its optimum efficiency, so Britons who put money towards buying a new model could find themselves significantly lowering their bills.

And there are even more steps that consumers can take to make their central heating greener.

Renewable energy technology, such as a biomass boiler, solar panels and ground or air source heat pumps all have a lower carbon footprint and as they rely less on fossil fuels, they can see households reducing their reliance on finite resources.

A biomass boiler can use wood from a sustainable source as its fuel, while solar panels use the naturally occurring energy of the sun.

Meanwhile, source heat pumps use heat stored in the ground or air and use it to heat a property and its water supply.

By taking all these steps, not only may budget-conscious Britons be able to save money by reducing their energy bills, they could also be working towards making sure global carbon emissions are reduced even further next year.