This is the time of the year when we all start making promises to ourselves about how we can improve our lives, get healthier, and make a bigger difference over the next 12 months.

While most people focus their New Year’s Resolutions on losing weight, hitting the gym, or embarking on a healthier lifestyle, you could adopt a more socially-conscious goal for 2020, such as cutting down on your energy usage.

- An Environmentally-Friendly Resolution

We all know that New Year’s Resolutions have a habit of being broken before January has finished. Indeed, according to US News & World Report, their failure rate is as high as 80 per cent, with most people giving up on their goals by mid-February, reported Inc.com.

However, a resolution that is certainly worth keeping is one that benefits all of society. While we might give up going to the gym or slip up on our efforts to quit smoking, if our incentive is to make a difference to the environment as a whole, we might be more inclined to stick to it.

- Will Reducing Energy Use Make A Difference?

Some people might doubt that switching off lights and turning TVs off stand-by will have a big influence on environmental goals. That is why it is important to understand that we all play a role in how much energy is used, and if everyone reduces their usage even just a little bit, this will have a substantial impact in the end.

According to Save On Energy: “There’s a direct connection between your energy use and the environment. When you consume less power, you reduce the amount of toxic fumes released by power plants, conserve the earth’s natural resources and protect ecosystems from destruction.”

It revealed that if every house in the USA swapped one light bulb for a more energy-efficient one, this would be the equivalent of removing 1.3 million cars from the road with regards to reducing pollution levels.

British households should also feel responsible for their energy use, as the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) estimated that fossil fuel and electricity usage is set to increase by 11 per cent by 2035 in the UK alone.

This is despite a rise in energy-efficient measures, and the government’s pledge to become a zero-carbon society by 2050. In June 2019, the UK was the first major economy to introduce laws to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero within 30 years. By cutting down on how much electricity you use or implementing more energy-saving procedures in your house, you could help achieve this ambitious goal.

- How To Cut Down On Energy Use

The easiest ways to cut down on energy usage is to turn the thermostat down; use appliances less often and only when necessary; draught-proof your home so it is better insulated and requires less heating to keep it warm; and turn electrical items off rather than leaving them on stand-by mode.

You can also swap normal lightbulbs for energy-saving halogen bulbs, which will not only help reduce your energy usage, but save money on bills as well.