THE Glendell family, in Bovey Tracey, are living proof that you can reduce your carbon footprint without piling on the woollies or turning into a zealot. Photographer Paul Glendell and his wife Miriam insist that anyone can do as they have with as little trouble or expense. 'We're just doing common sense things. We would not want to be seen as anoraks. We don't really feel the impact on our lives very much. Our children don't really notice,' Miriam commented. They recently had an energy audit carried out on their modern semi in Pottery Close which showed they produce less CO2 than the average family – thanks to steps they have already taken. Paul has a generous 1ft thick insulation in the loft. He used standard rockwool. if doing it today, he says he would look at greener alternatives. Next in went the cavity wall insulation, total cost £800. Of that, to Paul's surprise, PowerGen paid £200. He said that all power companies offer grants but do not necessarily shout about them. The work was done in summer and they immediately noticed the house felt cooler. For two years and without upping their monthly payments, their gas bill account climbed out of the red to more than £250 in credit. 'It keeps the house warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Given climate change this is good news,' he said. Instead of fitting a new kitchen, they put the money into double glazing, which has also helped. Down the years they have changed over to low-energy lightbulbs, which use only one-fifth of the power of conventional bulbs. 'We've still got one burning upstairs after 15 years. It cost £10 – it was a lot of money then,' Paul said proudly. Prices are set to tumble and designs improve as traditional bulbs are phased out. California was the first to announce a ban by 2012, followed by Australia and Canada. In March, the EU announced that it is going to phase out traditional light bulbs within two years. Environmentalists say that this alone will save the equivalent of one medium-sized power-station in the UK. Recently, the Glendells switched to Eco-tricity electricity, which matched the price of their conventional supplier. 'Although some power is bought in from conventional coal-fired power station, all the profits are invested in new wind turbines. Other companies buy from existing wind power but they aren't necessarily investing in increasing the capacity,' said Paul. He acknowledges that wind turbines can kill birds but points out that the RSPB supports them provided they are put in sensible places. When their water company wanted volunteers to monitor water usage, the Glendells responded. A plumber came and fitted low water use fittings to their taps and shower head which mixes the water 50/50 with air. The result? About 20 per cent off their bills. 'The shower felt slightly odd. you were used to a fairly strong flow but you stand there for the same length of time and get washed and cleaned as well.' These days, the car gets left at home more often. They shop by bike and get around the supermarket bind with a fortnightly on-line blitz. Paul points out that if everyone shopped on-line the supermarkets would not need to have all those wasteful open-topped cool cabinets or need to heat their vast emporia to keep shoppers warm. Paul quotes eco guru George Monbiot, whose book Heat has generated plenty of that. 'He reckons we need to reduce our carbon by 90 per cent by 2030 and that we will need to stop flying.' While Paul does not promise never to board another aircraft, he recently chose by travel by train and boat to a photo-shoot on Orkney. And for the first time, the family are travelling by train to Miriam's homeland of Slovakia this summer. Paul is optimistic about the future. 'I think we will make a bit of a mess but we will get there'.
