The Renault Scenic helps lower a family's Carbon Footprint

Awareness of the benefits of adopting a greener lifestyle continues to grow, and, for a perfect example, look no further than the Hawksworth family. After being set the challenge by BBC One Breakfast show to reduce their carbon footprint by 25% over 12 months, the seven-strong Midlands family set about making some changes to their lifestyle.

A major goal was a 25% reduction in the Hawksworth’s total car mileage, and choosing an economical car offering low emissions combined with the practicality need for a family of seven, was an integral part of this. There was only one choice of transport to help them achieve this task – the seven-seat Renault MPV, Grand Scénic dCi 130.

On hearing this part of the challenge, IT consultant, Paul Hawksworth, began investigating alternative modes of transport with the Renault coming top of the list. Paul says, “Walking to school, car sharing, cycling at weekends and taking the bus to the shops are good solutions, but we also had a good think about our wheels.

“My ageing Ford Galaxy and my wife’s Rover MGF needed to be replaced by cars with more modest emissions. After researching, we chose the Renault Grand Scénic dCi 130 and Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet dCi 106. The Grand Scénic’s 47.1 mpg average and CO² output of 160 g/km, plus the Coupe-Cabriolet’s 56.5 mpg and 133 g/km figures set us well ahead. And because the Mégane’s a four-seater cabriolet, it’s been more useful than a two-seater. Pity we had so much rain last summer!”

Paul added; “We plan ahead far more and combine journeys, which can be nice as we get to do a bit more as a family. The Grand Scénic’s a cracking piece of kit – it’s so versatile that we’re planning a seven-up camping trip to France this summer. The projected CO² will be hugely lower than flying. The overall lifestyle changes we’ve made are here to stay, and, naturally, we’re big Renault converts too!”

The above changes of reducing the mileage and the Renault vehicles resulted in a 33% saving on the vehicle C0² emmisions.

The Derby-based Hawksworth family began the challenge over a year ago, with a carbon footprint of 20.9 tonnes covering domestic and transport use and soaring electric bills. Changes such as loft insulation and the addition of solar panels to the Family home, resulted in a drop of £48 in their monthly gas & electricity direct debit.

The family not only saved money with their greener lifestyle, but also managed to achieve and even surpass their target after 12 months, reducing their carbon footprint by a huge 6.4 tonnes. The goal was 25% - but they achieved an amazing 33%.

Paul Hawksworth, wife Carol and their children, Lauren, Alex, Olivia, Jacob and Fraser are delighted with the results.

Renault’s Grand Scénic offers some of the greenest credentials in its class, with impressive fuel economy and both practical and huge interior space, making it the ideal car for a family incorporating a greener lifestyle.

Grand Scénic is available in four trims, Extreme II, New Expression, Dynamique and Dynamique S, a range of diesel and petrol engines, with prices ranging from £15,215 to £22,310.