Becoming more environmentally aware is good for both the planet and your pocket – a fact recognised by two in five people. Making your home energy efficient may have an initial outlay but the financial benefits are soon reaped.

Other measures are free. The Energy Saving Trust (www.energysavingtrust.org.uk ) has details of grants and offers available to households wanting to become more energy efficient.

For example, according to the Energy Saving Trust, turning down your thermostat just 1 degree centigrade can cut your heating bill by 10% and using an energy saving light bulb will save up to £60 over its lifetime.

Recent research shows that four in ten over 50s want to make their home greener. Cutting down on the heat loss from your home is a great way to cut fuel bills.

Here's how you can do it

• In a typical home some 20% of heat loss is through poor ventilation and draughts. Fit draft excluders on doors, windows and letterbox.
• Install cavity wall insulation and cut your bills by some 15%.Grants are available typically through energy providers.
• Insulate your loft; there are grants available here too.

If you want to take your green commitment one stage further then solar panels, wind turbines and biomass offer renewable energy solutions. There are a number of grants available to people wanting to install such measures – on top of the savings on fuel bills.

New planning regulations introduced in April 2008 mean that most renewable energy equipment can be installed without the need for planning permission. Wind turbines are currently the only exception. But it is worth a call to your local planning office to check your personal situation.

Five top tips for a greener home

• Install a biomass boiler, burning biofuels such as woodchip, rape or sugar cane, and save around £200 a year in energy bills and around 8 tonnes of CO2 per year.
• Ground source heat pumps can be used for heating and hot water. They use a buried ground loop, which transfers heat from the ground into a building. On average you can save £400 - £800 on your heating bills and 2 - 8 tonnes of CO2 per year.
• Wind turbines let you store the energy produced either in batteries or on the National Grid. Any un-used energy can be sold to local electricity companies.
• Solar PV (photovoltaic) uses daylight energy to create electricity. Installing them could save up to 1.1 tonnes of CO2 a year and £150 - £200 off your electricity bill.
• Solar water heating uses the sun’s heat to heat your water. You will reduce CO2 by around 350kg per year and save about £40 a year on your hot water bills.