Greener switches · the 7 Acts

The 7 Acts.
Up to 1,980 kg a year, and more through others.

Real Zero's 7 Acts, worked out for a typical UK footprint. Flip a switch to see the saving.

Switchboard

BankAct 1 · One-off · about 7 working days−1,030
EnergyAct 2 · One-off · a few minutes−195
FoodAct 3 · Ongoing · a weekly habit−427
CommuteAct 4 · Ongoing · a day a week−267
FlightsAct 4 · When you travel · per trip−62

Through others

Your MPAct 6 · indirect impactNot yet
FriendsAct 7 · indirect impactNot yet

A typical footprint4,088 kg a year

−1,980 kg a year (33% less)

Where to start

Impact against effort

Start top left: big saving, little effort.

KG SAVED A YEAR ↑

250

500

750

1,000

1,250

★ Quick winsBig, but a habitEasy extrasSlow burners

Bank−1,030 kgabout 7 working days

Energy−195 kga few minutes

Food−427 kga weekly habit

Commute−267 kga day a week

Flights−62 kgper trip

Your MPIndirectone letter

FriendsIndirecta few messages

Once, in minutesMORE EFFORT →Every day, a habit

Act 1−87%less CO₂e

£5,000 for a year, kg CO₂e financed

Barclays1,188Triodos159

−1,030 kg a year for a typical personOne-off · about 7 working days

Move to a greener bank

Banks lend out the money you keep with them.

TTriodostriodos.co.ukTop ratedEthical lendingOnly lends to social and environmental projects.Switch to Triodos CBThe Co-operative Bankco-operativebank.co.ukWhich? Eco ProviderEthical policy rules out fossil-fuel finance.Switch to Co-operative Bank NNationwidenationwide.co.ukWhich? Eco ProviderMember-ownedBuilding society that lends mainly for UK homes.Switch to Nationwide

Act 2−82%less CO₂e

Typical electricity for a year, kg CO₂e

Standard236Green tariff42

−195 kg a year for a typical personOne-off · a few minutes

Power your home with renewables

A renewable tariff can cut electricity emissions by over 80%, with no new equipment, and your power never cuts out during the switch.

GEGood Energygoodenergy.co.uk100% renewableUK generatorsElectricity bought direct from UK wind, solar and hydro.Switch to Good Energy EEcotricityecotricity.co.ukGreen gasNot-for-dividendProfits go into building new renewables.Switch to Ecotricity OEOctopus Energyoctopus.energySmart tariffsEV & heat pumpsRenewable tariffs plus cheap off-peak power.Switch to Octopus Energy

Act 3−92%less CO₂e

A day of food, kg CO₂e

Beef17Vegan1.38

−427 kg a year for a typical personOngoing · a weekly habit

Plant-forward food, delivered

A beef day emits 13 times a vegan day.

RRiverfordriverford.co.ukOrganicUK farmsSeasonal veg and recipe boxes, straight from the farm.Explore Riverford ACAbel & Coleabelandcole.co.ukOrganicRecipe boxesFruit, veg and plant-based recipe kits to your door.Explore Abel & Cole OOddboxoddbox.co.ukCuts wasteGood valueWonky and surplus fruit and veg rescued from the bin.Explore Oddbox FRFork Rangerforkranger.comFree appVeggie recipesQuick vegetarian recipes with a ready-made shopping list.Explore Fork Ranger

Act 4−81%less CO₂e

A 3.1 km commute, one day, kg CO₂e

Petrol car1.29Train0.25

−267 kg a year for a typical personOngoing · a day a week

Train, bike or electric

Your commute repeats over 200 times a year.

TTrainlinethetrainline.comTimes & ticketsRailcardsFind trains, split tickets and season tickets for your commute.Visit Trainline CCycleschemecyclescheme.co.ukCycle to WorkTax-freeGet a bike or e-bike through your employer's Cycle to Work scheme, paid from your salary before tax.Visit Cyclescheme GCGreen Commute Initiativegreencommuteinitiative.ukCycle to WorkE-bikesA not-for-profit Cycle to Work scheme with no upper limit, popular for e-bikes and cargo bikes.Visit Green Commute Initiative OEOctopus EVoctopusev.comSalary sacrificeElectric carsLease an electric car through your employer, paid from your salary before tax.Visit Octopus EV NFNHS Fleet Solutionsnhsfleetsolutions.co.ukNHS staffSalary sacrificeThe NHS's own salary-sacrifice car scheme, including electric cars, for NHS staff.Visit NHS Fleet Solutions

Act 4−97%less CO₂e

London → Paris, return, kg CO₂e

Plane123Train4

−62 kg a year for a typical personWhen you travel · per trip

Go by train instead

Once airport time is counted, the train is often as quick door to door for shorter trips, and it emits a fraction as much.

EEurostareurostar.comCity centre to centreLondon to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam in a few hours.Plan with Eurostar TTrainlinethetrainline.comUK & EuropeBook trains across the UK and Europe in one place.Plan with Trainline MIThe Man in Seat 61seat61.comFree guidesStep-by-step guides to reaching almost anywhere by rail.Plan with Seat 61

Act 6Indirectimpact

650

MPs vote on the UK's climate laws

One-off · one letter

Write to your MP

Your switches cut your own footprint. The rules everyone lives by cut everyone's, and MPs make them. A letter in your own words is one of the most direct ways to show that climate matters to voters where you live.

Write to your MP

Bring seven people with you

Change spreads through the people we know. When people you invite take the survey and make their own switches, their cuts add up on your Act 7 page.

Independent, always

Picked for the climate first, mostly links that pay us nothing. Banks are chosen by the bank league table, whether or not a link pays us, and pension picks are never affiliate links. How we choose

Find your biggest switch

Savings are for a typical UK resident with £5,000 in a high-street bank. Take the survey to see yours. How we calculate