\n By Kiki Sideris with AP\n<\/p>\n
\n Published on
\n 01\/01\/2026 – 9:15 GMT+1\n <\/p>\n
Here\u2019s some good news as the holidays wrap up: Many New Year\u2019s resolutions people already make – eating healthier, saving money, getting organised – double as climate-friendly habits.<\/p>\n
Whether you want to spend less, declutter or eat right, here are a few choices that could make a difference for you and the climate. Bonus: They\u2019re all low-effort and low-cost.<\/p>\n
Saving money on bills<\/p>\n
If you want to save money, start at home. Electronics and appliances can continue drawing power even when they\u2019re turned off. You can cut phantom energy use by unplugging items you\u2019re not using, such as chargers and entertainment systems or using an extension lead with an on-off switch.<\/p>\n
Adjusting your thermostat a few degrees when you\u2019re not home can also reduce energy use <\/a>and save money. Adjusting your thermostat by 4-6 degrees Celsius for eight hours a day can save up to 10 per cent a year on heating and cooling, according to the US Department of Energy.<\/p>\n Another simple tip: washing your clothes<\/a> on the cold setting and air-drying them when possible can help lower energy use and utility costs. Heating water is the biggest energy draw in laundry, and clothes dryers are among the most energy-intensive household appliances, says Matthew Gonzales, the vice chairman of the National Hispanic Energy Council, which advocates for affordable energy for communities of colour. This can also reduce wear and tear on clothing.<\/p>\n Gonzales says other simple swaps include switching to LED bulbs, sealing draughty windows and replacing dirty air filters so heating and cooling systems<\/a> run more efficiently. He also suggests using natural light during the day, opening or closing curtains and windows strategically to manage heat and turning off the lights when you don\u2019t need them.<\/p>\n Savings vary widely depending on where someone lives, how old their home is and local energy prices. But he said households in high-cost areas can see meaningful savings from small changes over time.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t let perfect be the enemy of good enough,\u201d Gonzales advises.<\/p>\n Eating healthier and wasting less<\/p>\n Cutting down food waste can also benefit your wallet, your diet and the environment.<\/p>\n Food waste<\/a> costs Europe an estimated \u20ac132 billionevery year, according to the European Commission, and generates 250 million tonnes of planet-warming greenhouse gases CO2e.<\/p>\n One place to start is by using what you already have in your pantry before hitting the supermarket, says cookbook author Anne-Marie Bonneau.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you have fat and an onion and a couple of random vegetables – or even one random vegetable or some leftover cooked proteins or grains – you\u2019ve got soup in the making,\u201d Bonneau says. \u201cIf you\u2019ve cleared out so much food that you don\u2019t even have an onion and fat, it\u2019s probably time to go shopping.\u201d<\/p>\n She also recommends preserving food<\/a> before it spoils, including fermenting vegetables, which, she says, is easier than it seems. For example, you can make sauerkraut with just cabbage, salt and a glass jar. You can also make sauces from seasonal vegetables like tomatoes and freeze them for use later in the year.<\/p>\n Using a multicooker to make things like apple sauce, yoghurt, stews and beans can also help with meal prep while reducing energy use.<\/p>\n As a general rule, Bonneau adds, eating fewer ultra-processed foods – such as sugary cereals, hot dogs, chicken nuggets and TV dinners – can benefit both your health and the environment. Those foods are often heavily packaged in plastic, which can shed into food and contribute to pollution.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll improve your diet, you\u2019ll reduce your waste and your food will come in less contact with plastic,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Decluttering and buying less<\/p>\n Getting organised doesn\u2019t have to mean buying storage bins or throwing things out. Often, it starts with using what you already have.<\/p>\n Spending even an hour organising your space, spotting duplicates, and rediscovering forgotten items can reduce impulse spending by helping people understand what they actually use, says Katrina Caspelich, communications director for Remake, an advocacy group for human rights and climate justice in fashion.<\/p>\n She says a \u201cone-in, one-out\u201d rule – where you can only buy a new thing if it replaces an old thing – can be effective because it keeps wardrobes<\/a> from growing and helps prevent clutter by encouraging more intentional purchases.<\/p>\n Unsubscribing from brand emails and sale alerts can also help. \u201cMost impulse purchases start with a notification, not a need,\u201d Caspelich says, adding that waiting 24 hours before buying something new often turns a \u201cmust-have\u201d into a pass.<\/p>\n