10:00, 20 January 2026
Words by Cheyanne Bryan, Editorial and Campaign Marketing Executive, London
As 2026 begins under the twin pressures of a cost-of-living crisis and an accelerating climate emergency, small, practical ideas are becoming increasingly important. From Somerset, one sustainability charity is offering a timely example of how grassroots action can respond to both.
Eco Centre, a Taunton-based sustainability charity, has launched a nationwide crowdfunding campaign to develop Eco-Save, a free app designed to help households save money while reducing their environmental impact. The campaign has already raised more than £500, enough to kick-start development, but far more support will be needed to take the app nationwide later this year.
Eco-Save is built around a simple premise: sustainable living should not be expensive, confusing or out of reach. The app will provide budget-friendly tips on cutting energy and water use, reducing waste and plastic, reusing and recycling more effectively, and cooking affordable, sustainable meals.
Crucially, it also plans to track users’ financial savings and environmental impact, offering tailored advice based on location, season and household circumstances.
This approach feels particularly urgent. Recent figures suggest around 7.1 million low-income households were still going without essentials such as food and heating in late 2025, underlining the scale of financial strain facing families across the UK. Tools that help people lower bills while contributing to climate action are no longer a “nice to have” – they are a necessity.
The Eco Centre is already piloting Eco-Save locally, using early feedback to refine the prototype. The ambition, however, is far broader: a free, ad-free app, accessible to anyone, connecting users to local sustainability projects and rewarding positive change through incentives and community engagement.
Steve Howell, Director and Founder of The Eco Centre, says the app aims to “address both challenges together”, helping people cope with rising costs while shrinking their environmental footprint. It is a refreshingly pragmatic vision of climate action – one rooted in everyday life.
Supporters can back the Eco-Save campaign via https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/eco-save, while more information about the charity’s wider work is available at https://www.ecocentresw.org.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Eco Centre. A UK-based sustainability charity helping people and businesses reduce their environmental impact while saving money. Through practical education, community projects and digital tools, it empowers households to take affordable, everyday action on climate change. Learn more here.
Practical Action. An international charity working across Africa, Asia and Latin America to tackle poverty and climate change together. It supports communities with practical, low-cost solutions for clean energy, sustainable food systems and climate resilience, helping people improve their lives while protecting the planet. Find out more here.
Rewiring America. A US non-profit focused on electrifying everything, from homes to transport, to lower energy bills and reduce carbon emissions. The organisation helps households understand the financial and climate benefits of clean energy, particularly for low- and middle-income communities. Discover their work here.
Photo credits: Eco Centre
