Last updated 19:39, Thursday, 01 May 2008

TWO KESWICK families are taking part in a year-long project to reduce their carbon footprint.

Jane Fanning and daughters Hannah, 11, and Ellie, 13, have been recruited to the project with Simon and Fiona Overend, who have a three-year-old son Samuel and are expecting another baby in the next few months.

The pilot scheme has been organised by Sustainable Keswick (SusKes) and initially aims to save energy in the home, with each family being given a household energy monitor that will work out how much energy and money are being used and the carbon levels emitted.

The aim is to target areas that show high levels of consumption and work out how they can be reduced. The scheme will then deal with travel, transport, shopping and domestic waste.

The families had to complete a survey and have been given energy monitors to discover how much energy they are using and how much it costs.

Patricia Howell, of SusKes, said: “We all hope to learn from each other and we were particularly keen to get families with children involved.”

Mrs Howell, of Skiddaw Street works at John Young Furnishings in the town, said: “We recycle our waste as much as we can and I know the children are quite good at turning off lights and equipment when we leave a room.

“Going along to a recent SusKes meeting has made me more aware of global warming and I was keen to reduce my carbon footprint. This experiment should help to save the planet and reduce our household bills.”

Simon and Fiona Overend, who have recently moved into their home at The Hawthorns, have done quite a lot of work including fitting argon double glazing and extra insulation to a new extension.

Mr Overend, co-ordinator of the Keswick Convention, said: “We were planning improvements and wanted to make our home as green as possible.”

The house also has a new, efficient central heating system and a wood burning stove in the sitting room and initial figures show that their energy consumption is 40 per cent lower than in a similar family home.