People in the North of England create fewer greenhouse gas emissions than southerners, according to scientists at York University. One reason is that they are more careful in the use of gas and electricity at home.

The York researchers were studying ways of cutting back on carbon emissions – the “carbon footprints” – of familes in various parts of the country to create advice on how to save money by reducing waste in household energy.

It found that people in Gateshead and the North East had the lowest footprint whilst the biggest came from homes in the south east, with St Albans, Herts, the most wasteful.

The research suggests that families could save a massive £27,000 in a lifetime by such tiny measures as reducing the central heating by a single degree, switching off standby lights on household appliances, and only filling the kettle with just enough water to make a cup of tea.

The row over carbon emissions is likely to become a political hot potato later this week with a report, expected tomorrow from the Tax Payers’ Alliance, which claims that the Government has imposed so-called “green taxes” raising many billions of pounds more than is justified on environmental grounds.

One of the findings – which Daelnet will cover in depth – is that countryside residents are paying much more in these so-called green taxes than people in urban areas.