Did you know that The Royal Household has been working on reducing its energy consumption for more than a decade?  Look down the impressive list below and see how you compare.

1985: A computerised Building Management System (BMS) is installed to control heating and power systems around Buckingham Palace, enabling these systems to be reviewed and adjusted so that they are running at maximum efficiency. 

1991: Buckingham Palace Garden starts recycling 99% of green waste (grass cuttings, twigs, branches, cuttings) on site, including waste from St James's Palace and Kensington Palace.

1994/95: Combined heat and power plants (CHP) installed at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace to generate electricity and improve energy efficiency in heating hot water in office and residential buildings.

1995: Heat resonance (thermal) imaging used to highlight areas of major heat loss and reduce this through double glazing of skylights.

1998: The Queen's State cars - a Rolls Royce, a Daimler limousine, and a Rover 400 converted to LPG. 

1998: Use of peat stopped on Palace gardens.

2000:  Recycling of all Christmas trees from the London Palaces begins, including trees from all staff and private residences.

2001:  Buckingham Palace "energy saving committee" formed to look at ways of reducing energy consumption.

2001: Use of bio diesel and biodegradable lubricants/oils introduced for lawn mowers, tractors and machinery.

2002: The Queen is presented with a dual-fuel Bentley to mark the Golden Jubilee.

2002: Buckingham Palace installs a bore hole in the garden to address environmental issue of rising water levels and utilises the water to cool condenser units that supply  air-conditioning to The Queen's Gallery.

2004:  Plans for hydro-electric schemes at Windsor Castle and Balmoral unveiled. The Balmoral turbine started producing electricity in September/October 2005. 

2005: Buckingham Palace installs a new combined heat and power unit (CHP) to generate electricity and further improve energy efficiency in heating hot water.  LED low energy bulbs installed where possible throughout Buckingham Palace.

2005:  Buckingham Palace starts recycling computers so that nothing goes to landfill. To date, 250 PCs, 200 monitors and 65 printers have been reused in developing countries or sent to waste management depots.

2006: New CHP unit installed at Windsor Castle.  "Green Champions" appointed in all departments at Buckingham Palace to manage recycling and energy efficiency.

2006: Balmoral estate aims to become energy self-sufficient. 

2007: Buckingham Palace will extend use of bore hole water to cool the wine cellars instead of using conventional methods.   There are also plans to connect the borehole water to the garden irrigation system, greatly reducing reliance on Thames Water.
There are plans to further extend the use of the bore hole for irrigation of Buckingham Palace gardens.

So how did you compare? 

Forget the 'green' bit for the moment; these actions are all designed to save money as well as the planet!