Money talks and it seems many of us are going eco.

UK households are slowly going green and are now spending more than £250 a year on environmentally friendly products, such as energy efficient light bulbs, eco appliances, carbon offsetting and even ‘green’ mortgages, figures suggest.

The Co-operative Bank’s annual Ethical Consumerism Report showed that expenditure on green products and services topped £6.4 billion in 2008 – which is up 5% from the previous year despite the economic climate. But this still only accounts for a fraction of total household expenditure. ‘Many people in the UK are working hard to adopt a greener lifestyle. But, while ethical consumers play a vital role in the development of products and services, this still accounts for less than 1% of total household expenditure,’ says Tim Frankline, The Co-op’s chief operating officer.

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