John and I have not flown for 4 years because we feel that not travelling by air is probably the single biggest step that anyone can take to help prevent climate change and it helps to offset the fact that we use oil for our water heating.
When I go walking sometimes the only sound you can hear apart from the birds is the noise of aeroplanes and when you look out at dawn breaking the sky is crisscrossed with vapour trails.
John and I have taken the Gold Pledge - "I pledge to be free from all air travel for a minimum of 12 months, except in an emergency". (www.lowflyzone.org) .
Our web host 1&1 is proud to be the first large web host who relies solely on renewable energy. 1&1 now uses wind, water and solar power in accordance with the Renewable Energy Certification System (RECS).
We've signed up with green electricty package and they supply us with electricity that comes entirely from renewables such as wind power or hydro electric - well actually they feed into the national grid the amount we use.
We are replacing old light bulbs with energy efficient ones, and have thermostats in all the rooms including shower rooms.
All our white goods are A rated and both the dishwasher and washing machine are only put on when full and then on an eco setting that uses less water and heat.
The house
Steep Meadow faces east so we always get a wonderful view of the rising sun. The house is designed so the sun's rays warm the house in the spring and autumn but in the summer when the sun is high the house remains cool. The glass in the windows is especially treated so it allows heat in but not out.
The bedrooms are buried in the hillside which provides extra insulation.The house was built from local materials using local labour and local architect and designed to be energy efficient and comfortable and to fit into the landscape.
We used eco-friendly paints and all timber used was from sustainable sources. The house is insulated to better than northern european standards and is very snug and warm.
We have an A rated condensing boiler for heating the water and underfloor heating - which is only on in guests bedrooms.
Upstairs in our sitting room and office we have no heating at all - it is all heated by the waste heat from the house.
If it does get cold we light a log fire in the sitting room. We burn wood saved from the old house or trees that we felled when doing the hedges or wood from the house we demolished.
All of our rooms have showers and we have dual flush toilets. The washing machine and dishwasher are always used on low water settings.
We have recycled water butts to collect rainwater.