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Environmental information

The University is working hard to become more sustainable and over the past few years we have invested heavily in projects to reduce our carbon emissions.

The most important thing we can do to be more environmentally friendly and reduce our carbon footprint is to make small changes in our everyday lives. By being environmentally responsible and taking some simple steps to conserve energy YOU can make the biggest contribution to UCA becoming greener and a more sustainable place.

Here are some hints and ideas on ways you can help:

  • Heat for comfort
    • Set your thermostat for comfort. If your room is too hot, turn the room thermostat down instead of opening a window. Heating a room with the windows open is a waste of energy
    • Keep radiators/heaters free from obstructions such as clothes or furniture so that they can heat efficiently
    • Draw the curtains at dusk to keep heat in your room. If your room is stuffy, open a window for a maximum of 10 minutes to refresh the air - then close it again. Keep a sweater handy for cold snaps.
  • Switch off
    • Turn the lights off. The idea that it uses more electricity to turn lights off and on frequently is a myth. Even if you are leaving your room for a few minutes, it is still worth turning the lights off
    • Use natural light. Check to see if there is enough daylight to do without lighting at certain times of the day by switching off lights
    • Avoid standby settings. You can reduce your carbon footprint by switching off appliances at the socket. Remember 85% of the energy used by a DVD player is consumed when it is not actually in use. The same goes for TVs, videos, mobile phone and MP3 chargers. Make sure you use the energy saving features on PCs and laptops and avoid screensavers as they use as much power as normal activities and prevent computers from switching to power saving mode
    • Turn off your monitor when not in use. A conventional monitor uses twice the energy of a PC. Even if you are only away for five minutes – switch the monitor off.
  • Be cool in the kitchen
    • Avoid leaving the fridge door open and allow warm food to cool before you put it in the fridge – this uses less energy. Match the size of the cooking ring to the size of the saucepan. Up to 40% of the energy used in cooking is lost by using small pots on oversized cooker rings. Put a lid on saucepans so the contents heat quicker
    • Chill out with tap water. Bottled water has a high level of embedded carbon in its packaging and transport. Keep a bottle of chilled tap water in your fridge instead
    • Bag the plastic. Reusable ‘bags-for-life’ now come in all shapes and sizes. Keep one in your kitchen and use these for trips to the local stores
    • Don’t overfill kettles. Boiling just the amount of water you need saves energy and conserves water
    • Turn off those taps. Put a stopper in the sink when washing and use a glass of water to rinse your mouth when brushing your teeth. Remember if the water is too hot turn the hot tap down, rather than turning the cold tap up. This will save energy and water
    • Air fryers are currently permitted in communal kitchen areas. Please make sure when using this appliance, you pull it forward to avoid melting the plastic splashback.
  • Eat green
    • Where possible buy local fruit and veg; they have a much lower carbon footprint than food imported from abroad. Buy food with less packaging, or packaging that is easily recycled. Look out for labels on the products that tell you this
    • Buy smaller amounts of just what you need to avoid wasting food. Producing meat is very energy intensive, so a meat free meal is a great way to help cut carbon emissions.

Residents' Handbook

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Environmental information