We’ve all heard the terms: carbon footprint, carbon off-setting, carbon neutral… but how many of us actually know what our carbon footprint is? More to the point, how on earth do we go about reducing it.

That’s where AlertMe’s new carbon footprint tool comes in. The company has developed a nifty new widget that allows you to measure your carbon output and convert it into examples (and costs) that you actually understand.

For example, a daily spin of the tumble dryer generates about 300kg of CO2, which is equivalent to driving from Glasgow to Brighton and back.
Not only that - it also costs you about £100 in electricity a year. So not only do you ‘get it’, you’ve also got the power to reduce it.

Features

• Know how much carbon dioxide your home creates.
  Calculate your home’s carbon footprint and find ways to drive this down.
  Monitor your CO2 usage over time and spot trends to help reduce your footprint.

Benefits

• Convert kgs of carbon into something you can understand, like miles travelled, plane trips, plastic bags used or gallons of petrol.
  Reduce your carbon emissions and make your home more environmentally friendly.
  See how your carbon footprint compares to the UK average.

The Carbon Trust estimates that the average UK home energy usage generates 1.37 tonnes of carbon per year, that’s 1370 kg of carbon.
How do you compare? Is your carbon footprint high, low, about average?

Now with Carbon Footprint, you can see at a glance how your carbon emissions compare to the national average and take steps to reduce your impact on the environment.

What’s your carbon footprint? Find out now by visiting the AlertMe website.

Bring your living space to life with eye-catching new lighting designs from The Cotswold Company.

Their range of signature pieces complement any style, whether you’re enhancing a modern living space, or adding character with a more vintage feel:

• Choose striking floor lamps in wood or brass to liven up dull corners.
• Opt for elegant table lamps with blown-glass or metal bases.
• Set them off beautifully with silk-effect pleated shades, to add charm to your bedsides and sideboards.
• Add lustre and subtle sparkle with silken-string ceiling pendants, festooned with glass and acrylic hanging beads.
• Intricate cut-metal lamps and hand-blown hurricane lanterns, lend an exotic-edge and create a special ambience for your room.

Let there be light. Your choice is, which one?

Featured here are:

• Glass Spheres Lamp, £79, N310.
• Simplicity Chrome Lamp, £39.95, N316.
• Safi Table Lamp, £129, N322.
• Clear Bedside Lamp, £79, N311.
• Farmhouse Ivory 6 Drawer Chest, £299, 7827.

For further information on the new home lighting designs, visit The Cotswold Company website.

Tel:  (0844) 984 0003

The passing of the summer solstice sees a new range of outdoor and indoor lanterns and hurricane lamps – of all shapes, sizes and finishes – at the specialist home accessories online boutique Nordic House.

The traditional teak lanterns, with a contemporary look and a stainless steel top, are part of the Danish Designer Collection at Nordic House, while there are more than 30 hurricane lamps and lanterns to choose from within the Lanterns and Hurricanes range.

Materials and finishes include stainless steel, glass, whitewashed, distressed paint, wood, rattan, metal, rusty, ceramic, retro, classical and contemporary style.

• In our picture is the Retro Candle Lantern:
  These are a limited edition! - A.gorgeous retro style metal, pale taupe lantern with a chalky, painted finish.
  Sizes:
  Medium: H20×14x14cm.
  Large: H32×21x21cm.
• Recommended Candles:
  Large lantern: 8×12cm pillar candles - Medium lantern: Large tealights or the 6×12cm pillar candle.
  Priced at: £24.50 – Medium. £34.00 – Large.

Nordic House collections reflect the best of Scandinavian design and are strongly focused on natural elements and textures.

Collections are limited and constantly evolving as each season progresses.
Boxed gift vouchers are also available for those special gifts or treats.

Visit the Nordic House website to view the stunning new ranges of lanterns and hurricane lamps.

Tel:   (0844) 209 2027

Do you love curling up with a good book or spend hours doing needlework? Then the brand new High Vision Reading Lights from Lifemax, will allow you to view things in a whole new light for a whole lot longer:

• The specially designed lamps use near daylight, low flicker bulbs to enable longer concentration and help relieve eyestrain and headaches.
• Bringing near daylight into an indoor environment, the lamps provide better colour reproduction and glare free reading.
• The bulbs last longer too. The energy efficient bulbs last up to 8000 hours, with a 27 watt input and 150 watt output.
• Available in floor or table versions, the lamps feature a convenient flexible neck that can be easily adjusted to ensure that the light shines at the right height and direction. The lamps are ideal for reading, intricate hobbies and crafts.
• Floor Lamp: £55.00.
  Table Lamp: £45.00.

About Lifemax
The modern, older generation are hungry for products to make life easier, take care of their health and to have some fun and enjoyment. Lifemax is dedicated to the supply of such products.

Founded in 2003, the Company aimed to service the ‘baby boomers’ as they became the ‘nifty fifties’.

Through careful selection and innovation, people from all age groups now enjoy the products Lifemax offer.

Lifemax aims to provide the best possible products, at the best possible prices with a first class service for their customers.

Visit the Lifemax Direct website for more information about the High Vision reading lights.

Tel: (0118) 971 0075

Exotic looking pyramid-shaped subwoofer with super fashionable satellites from Edifier, the Prisma is a fashion statement in any home.

An audio and visual delight, the Edifier Prisma speaker system is a treat for your eyes and ears.

The exotic looking pyramid shaped subwoofer and satellites will complement modern PC and monitors styles, while the glossy white finish will suit contemporary homes:

• With hi-tech crossovers for the new anti-resonant material satellites and a down-firing subwoofer driver, the sound is superb.
• The ergonomic, wired, low profile control means that adjusting the volume is easy, whilst the built-in headphone and MP3 jack offer flexible listening options.
• The soft touch on/off switch with ‘red halo’ lighting located on top of the subwoofer allows for an easy operation.
• Available in a gloss white finish, the Prisma is designed to complement any home.

Features:

• Exotic subwoofer housing with ‘opera’ house look and feel.
• Wired, low-profile, rotary, master volume controller with red LED ‘Halo’ effect with built-in headphone and MP3 input jacks.
• Soft touch on/off switch with ‘halo’ red lighting located on top of the subwoofer.
• Magnetically shielded speaker drivers.
• Separate bass control located at rear of subwoofer.
• 3.5mm jack located at rear of subwoofer.

Priced at £89.99, the Prisma is available online from the Apple Store and Play.com.

For more information on the Prisma multimedia speakers, visit the Edifier website.

Purple is fast emerging as the hottest trend for the coming season, and House Couturier have some beautiful pieces of Italian designed furniture, to help you add a touch of this purple opulence to your home this autumn.

Inspired by the elegance of nature, the curvaceous Butterfly sofa in our picture, has smooth, undulating lines and is adorned with Cupro silk embroidered decorations and luxurious Swarovski crystals:

• The regal purple butterflies and sumptuous floral embroideries are enhanced by the subtle nuances of the light gold silk upholstery, and the frame is available in gilded gold, gilded silver, light oak, lacquered black or white.

The Violet Lighting Range offers a stunning selection of modern crystal chandeliers, which will add a touch of magic to your home:

• The Swarovski crystals transform pure light into an enchanting array of rainbow reflections, while the handmade silk shades soften and diffuse the light. The range includes floor standing lamps, ornate hanging chandeliers, single and multiple shade wall lights and table lamps.

Butterfly Sofa.
Dimensions: W 240cm x D 95cm x H 88cm.
Priced from: £8750 plus vat, includes cushions.

Lilac Chandelier.
Floor standing lamp from £4200 plus vat.
Hanging chandelier from £1295 plus vat.
Table lamp from £950 plus vat.
Wall light from £1600 plus vat.

Visit the House Couturier website for more information on
the Butterfly Sofa and the Violet Lighting range.

Tel: (0207) 371 9255.

The kid’s summer holidays are just about to start, which presents the dilemma to parents up and down the land - how do you keep them occupied for six whole weeks?

Well before you start tearing your hair out, the Dotcomgiftshop can help you.

TheDotcomgiftshop online is choc-full of fun pursuits, to keep them captivated over the holidays - whether it’s playing with their selection of toys and games; getting creative with arts and crafts; or making new discoveries in the garden and kitchen.

So no matter whether you and your family find yourselves on a tropical beach, caravanning in the Dales, or simply in your own back-yard - Dotcomgiftshop can supply all you’ll need to keep them happy, learning and above all - having fun!

Featured here are a few of the childrens cookery games and accessories:

Children’s Minature Tea Set, 11 Pieces; £12.95.

20 Assorted Plastic Cookie Cutters; £4.95.

Children’s Baking Set Spaceboy Design; £12.95.

Skull Design TV Dinner Tray; £12.95.

Large Popcorn Holder; £3.95.

The Dotcomgiftshop online, offers a wide range of gifts, exclusively designed or sourced by their in-house team.

They are a little bit quirky, some are quite kitsch but surprisingly stylish; you’ll find vintage style kitchenware alongside glamorous baroque chandeliers.

This easy to navigate website is divided into sections:

• Interiors - Kitchen, garden, bathroom etc.
  Gifts for Her, Him and the Kids.
  Toys and jewellery, plus seasonal items.

Their appeal lies in the huge range of products on offer, all at remarkably affordable prices, plus their pledge to customer service and speedy delivery.

To view the wide range of gifts on offer visit the The Dotcomgiftshop online.

The VPhase voltage optimisation device, which enables households to cut energy costs immediately, without changing their electricity suppliers or lifestyles, has demonstrated energy savings of between 8.5% and 9.0% in its social housing trial with Great Places Housing Group.

VPhase plc has released the independently analysed results from the trial, confirming the substantial energy and carbon emission savings that can be achieved by fitting a VPhase unit.

The trial revealed potential yearly CO2; savings of up to 180kg per property, the equivalent of driving over 1,000km in an average car.

Matthew Harrison, deputy chief executive and director of development at Great Places Housing Group comments: “These results are very encouraging and we will now look at the viability of installing VPhase units in more of our houses.”

The low-cost VPhase unit uses voltage optimisation technology, something that has been saving large companies £millions each year, yet this is the first time the technology has become available on a domestic scale.

It works by reducing and managing the incoming voltage into the home, to ensure a wide range of appliances around the home use less electricity and cost less to run.

Installation of a VPhase will have an immediate effect on energy bills for UK homes with typical savings of around 10% per year.

VPhase Voltage Optimisation Device – How it works:

• Incoming voltage to properties in the UK varies and is normally higher than necessary – typically around 245V.
• Household appliances are designed to operate within the statutory range (207V to 253V) therefore many are more efficient and use less electricity at a much lower voltage.
• A VPhase unit will reduce and regulate the voltage to an operationally efficient level of 220V, eliminating over-voltage, which is a costly and an unnecessary waste of energy.
• The amount of energy saved is device specific and depends on incoming voltage.

VPhase CEO Dr Lee Juby states,“The beauty of the VPhase unit is that people can continue to enjoy all the benefits of a growing range of home appliances, whilst remaining kind to the environment and their pocket.

The VPhase unit fits next to a fuse box and is simple to install by a qualified electrician.

Each VPhase unit is priced at £299 (including VAT & Delivery).

For more information about the VPhase Voltage Optimisation Device, visit  the VPhase website.

Tel: (0845) 003 8235

Energenie, the manufacturer of automatic standby shutdown technologies, are now offering a new range of energy saving products for the home.

Energenie provides an easy way of cutting the amount of energy used in the homes, saving money on electricity bills, saving energy and reducing the risk of fires caused by electrical appliances.

Without doubt, Britain’s consumers have become increasingly aware of green issues in recent years; however, there are still those who are not convinced.

Energenie makes it easy and achievable to help the planet, be safer in your home and to save money.

Alan J. Tadd, Managing Director, Energenie, commented: “We’re about converting these non-believers into people who are taking action. They might not be environmentally driven, but everyone wants to be safe in their homes and for electrical appliances to be convenient and to save money.

Our new range enables all of these aims and we want to show UK consumers just how easy it is to take action.”

Energenie’s products for the home include:

Automatic Standby Shutdown for Home Entertainment - With one socket reserved for appliances that need to remain constantly on, this device will learn the standby power level of your home entertainment system and switch it off automatically when it is put into standby.

Automatic Standby Plug Adapter for TVs - Leaving a TV, DVD player, computer monitor and other electrical appliances on standby can waste up to 70% of the energy consumed by the appliances; this device will switch it off automatically when it is put into standby.

Radio controlled socket - Ideal for hard to reach plugs, or for people who have restricted mobility. It is 13amp rated and can be used with any UK domestic appliance.

Automatic Standby Shutdown - There are more than 80 million TVs in Britain, with most of them left constantly on standby; this device switches TVs and other electrical appliances off after 30 minutes of inactivity.

Energy Power Saving Meter - Discover which appliances are the worst offenders in your household for wasting the most electricity.
Find out how much appliances are costing in terms of money and their carbon footprint.

Energenie is recommended and certified by the Energy Saving Trust.

To view all of Energenie’s range of products for the home and the office, visit their website.

Dyson has developed two new Dyson Air Multiplier™ fans: the AM02 Tower and the AM03 Pedestal.

Engineered for larger spaces, the floor standing machines produce a far greater airflow than the previous iteration – AM03 Pedestal generates 50% more airflow than the AM01 Desk fan.

Both new fans come with a remote control, which is magnetised to conveniently locate itself on the machine.

James Dyson says:
“Air conditioning is inefficient and gives little or no ventilation. The new machines are engineered to circulate smooth un-buffeted air in larger rooms. They draw in and amplify up to 50% more air than our desk fan.”

Dyson AM02 Tower fan specifications:

• At 1 metre high and only 19 centimetres wide, the AM02 Tower is slender and running track shaped to take up limited floor space; 33 litres of air are drawn through a mixed flow impeller each second and amplified 16 times using Air Multiplier™ technology.

Dyson AM03 Pedestal fan specifications:

• Offering the most airflow of all Dyson Air Multiplier™ fans, the AM03 Pedestal draws in 33 litres of air per second and amplifies the air 18 times.
• Unlike other pedestal fans, which use an awkward clamp to fix the height, AM03 Pedestal uses a constant rate Tensator spring to easily push or pull the loop amplifier to set the height and angle.
• The machine extends from a height of 1.2 metres to 1.4 metres for use in larger areas including living rooms and offices. It has no spinning blades, is easy to adjust and tilt.

Availability - The Dyson Air Multiplier™ desk fan is available now through the Dyson website and retail stores.
The AM02 Tower and the AM03 Pedestal will be available through Dyson.co.uk and selected design stores.

Cost – The Dyson Air Multiplier™ desk fan retails for £199.99.
The AM02 Tower and the AM03 Pedestal retail for £299.99.

For further information visit the Dyson website.
http://www.dyson.co.uk