We are all under pressure to live as eco-friendly as possible now days. It might seem a little daunting and in some cases, expensive, to turn your whole life into one eco-friendly system but by making a few small changes throughout the year, you can make a massive difference and be confident that you are doing your bit to contribute to reducing the world’s carbon footprint. 20 things you can do to make your home more eco-friendly:

1. Turn down the heating by 1 or 2 degrees, this will also reducing your heating bill. If you’re going on holiday, turn it down to a lower temperature (or off if it’s mild outside), no point heating an empty house! Wear an extra sweater or use a blanket before you resort to turning on (or up) the heat.

2. Insulate your home. No point heating a home that is just letting it back out again.

3. Use ‘smart’ technology. Gadgets that can be programmed to control your lighting and heating can make your home run super-efficiently!

4. By installing water saving devices in your home, it is possible to reduce the amount of water you consume.

5. Turn your computer off at the end of the day, even in ‘sleep’ mode, it uses energy.

6. Take steps to create an eco-friendly workplace, use recycled paper. If you have a lamp, put in a low energy bulb.

7. Start a compost pile in your back garden, you can put all sorts of stuff on a compost. Leftover food, paper, even ashes from the fireplace!

8. Cancel your newspaper subscription and read the news online instead.

9. Buy rechargeable batteries. Make sure you dispose of your old batteries properly.

10. Recycle as much as you can and get the kids involved too. It should become second nature to them. Make it easy for your family to recycle by keeping bins in convenient places.

11. File your taxes electronically to cut back on paper usage. Look into having your tax forms emailed to you instead of mailed as well. Pay your bills online (and opt for paperless billing) to reduce paper usage and postage costs. Try to print as little as possible.

12. Buy a new houseplant. They are natural pollution fighters!

13. Repair any leaky taps and use the eco setting on your appliances, if you have them. Switch to better energy star-rated appliances when you upgrade. Even if they cost a little more, they'll actually save you on your electricity bill in the long run.

14. Have a shower instead of a bath, you can save up to 14% of your water.

15. Ask your power company about your green energy supply options like solar, geothermal, biomass and wind turbine.

16. Switch to chemical-free cleaning products. 17. Use low energy bulbs throughout your home.

18. Keep your freezer full — it runs more efficiently than an empty one.

Start today and make one change per week or month and in no time, you will be living a much greener life.