Hundreds of families in Ipswich have pledged to become greener in a project that aims to cut the town’s carbon footprint.
A total of 1,835 households have signed up to a scheme that could save them approximately £250,000 in energy bills and a staggering 123 tonnes of carbon. This means each house could potentially save up to £134 and cut 15 tonnes from their carbon footprint if they stick to a list of pledges.
The ANSWER Green Behaviours project is being led by Groundwork East of England in partnership with Ipswich Borough Council.
Councillor Sandy Martin, the borough council’s environment portfolio-holder, said: “This is a great response and I want to thank everyone who made pledges. Almost everyone supports the idea of changing their behaviour and doing something positive for the environment. Our job at the council is to do what we can to help them to do so.”
Pledges that each household have signed up to include things like: “I promise to walk or cycle short journeys of under a mile” and “I promise to turn off electrical items rather than leaving them on standby”. Different cost and carbon savings have been attributed to each pledge to give residents an idea of how small changes can help.
The aim of the project is to give residents advice on how to save money in the home, whilst raising awareness of energy efficiency and climate change at the same time.
Groundwork is a national group of charities that helps people to live and work in a greener way.