In the study, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, behaviour change experts studied 800 adults in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.

Professor Bas Verplanken, from the University of Bath's Department of Psychology, said: "Life transitions, such as moving house or changing jobs, present a real opportunity to influence the choices people make.

"Often, around the time of a major change, life can be up in the air and as such we know that people are generally more open to new ideas and information."

Participants in the study either received an intervention promoting sustainable behaviours such as recycling, reducing food waste and energy use, or did not.

Moving house can be a 'window of opportunity'  Photo: Alamy

Half of those involved had moved house within the past six months, while the other half had not.

The groups of movers and non-movers were matched on house size, home ownership, recycling facilities and access to public transport.

They were offered a free reusable shopping bag containing sustainable products such as eco-washing liquid, vegetable and flower seeds, a bus timetable and a shower timer.

An information booklet referring to websites on how to live sustainably - emphasising both environmental and financial benefits - was sent in the post.

Teesside DJ Dave Thomas says the smoking ban sparked the demise of club culture   Photo: Alamy

Participants also received a newsletter from Peterborough Environment City Trust providing information on sustainable solutions.

They were asked to report how often they performed 25 environment-related behaviours at the beginning of the study and eight weeks later.

The study found the intervention was more effective among participants who had recently moved house.

Researchers suggest the findings could now be used by policy-makers hoping to design more cost-effective interventions to promote sustainable behaviour.

One example they highlight is among first time buyers as their life transition will occur much earlier - meaning any shift in environmental thinking is more likely to have long-lasting effects.