§ 1. I was struggling to get by. I had just moved to Gloucester from London and had taken the first job that I was offered. I was barely earning enough to do my weekly shopping and I wished I had the money I used to make back in London. As I couldn't afford my own place, I had settled for my best friend's sofa, but the hard cushions and backaches had made me realise that, above all else, I longed for my old flat  — my little peaceful place! I soon began to wonder if moving had been the right decision. That's when I heard a radio advert that changed my life...

§ 2. "Looking for your own place but worrying about the cost? Worry no more! You could live free for a year in the 'Enviro-House', one of Britain's first environmentally friendly homes. We're looking for a resident to live rent-free! For more details, visit www..." My friend had heard about this house and he thought that it would be very difficult to stick to an energy conserving routine. I should have considered this, or at least have been concerned about how many "guests' would actually pass through. But, as I sat on the painfully uncomfortable sofa, the only thing in my head were the words... "Live free, live free."

§ 3. I visited the website and entered the competition to become an 'eco-housemate'. I was one of three lucky finalists who had to battle it out for a place in the house live on local television. The other finalists were keen environmentalists with a passion for the issue, unlike me. I had never really given it much attention to be honest, as it was insignificant to me. I joked with the audience that the only way I was going to learn was if they sent me to the house! They agreed. As I walked through the front door of the house, I had worrying visions of living in a futuristic house, full of high-tech gadgets. I certainly wouldn't have been surprised to see a number of complex-looking machines. However, I was shocked to see the house was completely normal. In fact, it looked just like any other house. This eased my mind a bit, as I rarely find modern technology easy to understand, I prefer the simple life. The heating system, water supply and electricity all worked in exactly the same way as they would in any other house in the UK. The only difference was that the house used renewable sources of energy. Solar panels and small wind turbines were used to provide the hot water and electricity.

§ 4. My experiences in the house made me look at the way I had lived my life in the past and how I should live it in the future. For example, it's neither difficult nor time-consuming to recycle, as long as you make it part of your daily routine. I also changed my perspective on which energy sources to use. It's very simple to make those all-important changes we just need the motivation to make them.