So who are we?

Neil Morgan started it off in the normal way. In other words he found that doing something simple like changing more than three lightbulbs required detailed research. And everyone he met who was trying to make a difference seemed to have invested too much time finding out what to do. So he started Eco-St with a bunch of like-minded friends and acquaintances who were keen to help those with less time on their hands.

We asked everyone involved in setting up ECO-St how they would spend their first £100 if they wanted to make a difference to their carbon footprint.

Neil Morgan

Neil's eco-credentials should be better. Having studied 'Agricultural colonization in the Amazon Basin' in Ecuador back in the 80's you'd be surprised to see the car he drives now (he's going to get a really high mpg one soon!). In fact, when giving a talk on the Amazon 25 years ago he was asked about de-forestation and responded along the lines of 'there seemed to be plenty of trees to me'.

Now that he's jointly responsible for four kids he doesn't want to go down as one of the generation that 'ate all the pies' (in terms of fossil fuels). So, he wants to change some things.

Based on what has worked for him and his family so far he'd spend his first £100 on an Electrisave meter.

It cost me 80 quid but it tells me every minute of the day how much electricity we are using in terms of pence per hour. If it's ever over 10p I start looking for the culprit!

I love my Uniross battery tester (£4.29). It lets you know whether your batteries need recharging or not. We used to have loads of 'maybes' lying around. Now they are all fully charged in a drawer.

Lastly I'd buy an Intelliplug (£15.99) because it puts your PC on standby (doesn't switch it off) but does switch off your printer and monitor when you are not using the PC. It works for me.

Liz Parry

Liz is one of our better-connected founders and is therefore in charge of partnership arrangements with councils, government, environmental organisations and the press Liz's family are all seasoned eco-travellers and her 16 year-old daughter swears by her solar mobile phone charger, very handy when stuck up-river in Belize or running low on the bus.

Over the last 5years I have become more involved in looking at all life on this planet as one whole interconnected system. When I learnt that here in the West we have used an African persons annual carbon footprint by 6th January, it really made me realise how we have to take responsibility for what we produce and can no longer waste the resources, pleading ignorance of the results.

Consequently if I was starting from scratch, with my first £100 I would set myself up with recycling products both inside and outside the house. I would install 'water hippos' in each toilet cistern to save water (£5.99 for 2), and next would come the energy saving lightbulbs (Low energy light bulb finder). I would also look to books to further my understanding of the issues: Recycle The Essential Guide, George Monbiot's Heat and Chris Goodall's How to live a low carbon life.

As Confucius said "it is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness", and that's what I intend to do.

Jill Holmes

Jill has been interested in the environment for many years, her interested sparked when she organised an international environmental roadshow for New Scientist several years ago. Jill has vast marketing and internet experience from Reuters and New Scientist. She's currently busy trying to improve her family's eco credentials.

For a long time, I've been concerned about the results of our current generation's lifestyles on the planet - from chopping down forests and washing chemicals down drains to pollution and filling landfills full of plastic.

My first £100 would go on natural non-toxic paints for decorating my daughter's bedroom and changing my lightbulbs to low energy ones. Earthborn's lovely range of paints include emulsion, claypaint and eggshell.

I've spotted a fab pink in their new Eco Chic range called flip flop which I know my daughter will love!

Matt Lane

If I had £100 I would spend it on an ECO-St home energy survey (£95) for my home. It involves a trained domestic energy assessor coming around and making recommendations on where you can make energy and cost savings. It tells you whether renewable energy options are appropiate, on top of low energy lighting, insulation, electricity consumption and rain water harvesting. I would also use the last £5 (and some of my student overdraft) on low energy bulbs (probably LED's to replace halogens, 3 Watts Vs 50 Watts is a no brainer). I would of course use the low energy light bulb selctor on the website to help me find the best replacement bulbs.

Doug Struthers

Doug really works for a company called Burnt Sugar that makes the best fudge in the world (take it from us and The Observer). He advises us on what products to buy in our Farm Shop and, being from careful stock, makes sure that our processes are tight and our margins realistic.

Doug has always been an outdoors sort of chap: cycling, cross country running, tough guy challenge mixed with a few racket sports. He has also always been interested in waste management and the different ways in which this can be achieved.

And what is he thinking of next?

Sportswise: Etape du Britain, a stage of the tour de France starting in London and touring through Kent. I will be cycling with 4,000 other amateurs all pretending to be pro's.

Ian Kekwick

Ian is the member of our team with all the renewable power experience. He used to work for Powergen looking for renewable energy investments and since leaving them has sold a Wind Turbine for £3 million - a little more than the ones you get at B&Q!

So with all that knowledge what would he buy?

Initially I thought of light bulbs as it's a real hassle getting the right ones for our house, with at least 8 different types in it, and all bright enough. I find you need the one up from the equivalent. I have already managed through too much research to get the right ones, unfortunately without the use of ECO-St wide selection and ability to see them all working, side-by-side.

Cleaning products look useful but I wanted to make a more permanent difference so with my first £100 I opted for the Electricity meter (Electrisave) because you cannot really change something without having some idea of what you are doing at the moment. I thought if the family (all 5 of us) can see what they are spending on power we can then see every little change counts. I think that is the only way we are all going to "eat this elephant" in lots and lots of small bits with everyone taking a bite of their own.