Lower footprint, lower bill, up to £300 saved a year

The Climate Change Act 2008, amended in 2019, makes it legally binding for the UK to cut net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050. "Net" allows residual emissions in sectors that are hard to fully decarbonise (aviation, agriculture, heavy industry) to be balanced by carbon removals, mostly woodland, peatland and engineered removals. The buzzword buster breaks down what counts towards the target and what does not.

Domestically the UK has cut emissions faster than most G7 economies (around 54% vs 1990 by end-2024), but the Climate Change Committee has flagged repeatedly that current policies are not enough to hit the −68% by 2030 NDC. The Paris Agreement guide covers what was signed, what was delivered and where the gap sits in 2026.

For most homes, the answer is one of three: cut a long-haul flight, swap a gas boiler for a heat pump or install solar panels. Each can avoid one to several tonnes of CO2 a year. The footprint guide ranks every household action by impact and cost, with honest numbers.

Some are, some are not. Old, cheap nature-based credits (avoided-deforestation in particular) have faced serious additionality and permanence problems. Higher-priced durable removals, Gold Standard projects and well-audited renewable programmes like the Gandhi Project stand up to scrutiny. The full breakdown is in the carbon offsetting guide.

Yes for most south-facing UK roofs. A 4 kWp system typically pays back in 7 to 10 years thanks to 0% VAT until March 2027 and Smart Export Guarantee rates that beat the Ofgem cap on the best plans. The solar guide walks through cost by system size, the SEG tariffs that actually pay and the brands worth comparing.

It can, but not as much as people expect for a fan-only home. The hit comes when you reach for a portable AC unit, which can draw 1 kW continuously and add several pounds a day at the price cap. The heatwave guide includes a live calculator that compares fans against AC at the current Ofgem unit rate.

A REGO (Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin) certifies that one MWh was generated from a renewable source somewhere on the UK grid. Suppliers can buy REGOs cheaply without sourcing the underlying physical power, which is why "100% renewable" tariffs vary widely in credibility. The buzzword buster and our renewable energy hub rank suppliers by how green they actually are.