A TOP eco-chef has launched a festive energy efficiency campaign. With the Christmas season in full swing, people across the country are set to indulge on food, drink and generally being merry. However, with family descending and lights a-blazing, milli

A TOP eco-chef has launched a festive energy efficiency campaign.

With the Christmas season in full swing, people across the country are set to indulge on food, drink and generally being merry. However, with family descending and lights a-blazing, millions of pounds will be wasted on unnecessary energy - and chef Arthur Potts Dawson, together with electricity firm npower, has identified the five worst festive offences. These are:

- Leaving the oven on for more than five hours on Christmas Day

- Leaving Christmas tree and other festive lights on all day - even when we're not at home

- Turning the heating on in the morning, and then leaving it on for the rest of the day

-Leaving the TV on all day, even when we're not in the room - and plugging in other appliances, such as games consoles, computers and DVD players without turning anything else off

-Excessive wastage - from wrapping paper to food.

But far from being "bah humbug", npower is showing carbon-conscious Brits that it is possible to save energy and have plenty of festive fun.

The energy company has teamed up with top eco-chef, Arthur Potts Dawson of the award-winning Acorn House and Water House restaurants, to create a special "One Tray One Pot" Christmas dinner recipe - and easy to follow video guide - including plenty of useful energy efficiency tips, which can be downloaded for free at www.npower.com/energyefficientchristmas.

Kevin Peake, marketing director at npower, said: "Energy efficiency and Christmas are not usually two things that naturally sit together, but we want to show that making a few simple changes at Christmas are more 'Christmas cracker' than 'bah humbug'.

"This is why we wanted to partner with someone like Arthur Potts Dawson - who has sustainability at the core of everything he does - to show that being energy efficient during the festive season can be fun, and you can save money - enough for another present or bottle of wine to enjoy with dinner!"

Mr Potts Dawson added: "When npower first asked me to provide a recipe for an energy efficient Christmas dinner I thought it was a great idea. Using just one tray and one pot not only saves energy, but it also saves on washing up.

"Also, if just a small percentage of houses in the UK choose to follow the tips, then together we can save a huge amount of energy. Plus, it's a great excuse to get all the family involved in cooking the turkey."

Arthur's top tips for an eco-friendly Christmas dinner are:

- Make sure the food is at room temperature before cooking, and don't preheat the oven - there is no need and the turkey cooks more thoroughly and in less time

- Use one tray and one pot to cook all your ingredients in - there is no need to have more than one oven and more than one hob on at the same time

- Don't throw away leftovers - they can all be used to create a delicious (one pot) soup.

For Arthur's recipes and other energy efficiency tips, please visit www.npower.com/energyefficientchristmas