Even though relaxing at home and living low to the ground might seem like a good way to reduce your contribution to climate change, greening our living spaces represents a significant contribution to reducing global warming. In fact, greening our homes is as substantial as never flying in an airplane again or taking an automobile off the road for a year.
To put it into perspective, an average car emits 6 tons of CO2 per year; an average North American home emits approximately 7.4 metric tons per year according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Two of the largest consumers of energy in the house are electricity use and heating.
The average household CO2 emissions from electricity usage are approximately 7.4 metric tons per year.
Appliances
Household appliances are significant in their energy consumption. In particular the fridge, stove, hot-water heater, and the washer and dryer consume the most energy per household. The refrigerator consumes the most electricity of all appliances. Many North American homes have 2-3 refrigerators; one to keep food cold and often a beer or snack fridge located near televisions or swimming pools. Swapping your old inefficient fridge (make sure it is recycled) for an EnergyStar design can save 521lbs (237kgs) of greenhouse gases each year. Changing old energy-inefficient appliances with new energy efficient appliances often result in anywhere between a 30%-70% energy savings per appliance.
Electricity
The US Environmental Protection Agency reports the average household CO2 emissions from electricity usage are approximately 7.4 metric tons per year (about 16,290 lbs). Finding ways to reduce electricity consumption at home represents an important contribution to climate change. Electricity reducing tips include turning off lights/appliances when not in use, putting all electronics on power bars that can be turned off when not in use, and eliminating vampire power from standby electronics like the TV or computer.
Heating
In the average North American home, over half the energy consumed is for heating or cooling rooms. Turning your heater thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer saves 2000 lbs of CO2 and $98 per year according to StopGlobalWarming.org. Other simple tips to reduce heating waste and costs include; eliminate all drafts, shutting doors when rooms are not in use, close fire dampers to minimize heat loss, use curtains at night to keep the heat in, ensure your home is properly insulated, and conduct regular maintenance on the home’s heating source to guarantee it is operating at maximum efficiency. Contact your local heating provider to find out if they offer greener alternatives to traditional fossil fuels.
Hot Water Tanks
Insulate your water tank to limit heat loss and turn it down when you go on holiday. Keep your water heater thermostat no higher than 120°F saves 550 lbs. of CO2 and $30 per year according to StopGlobalWarming.org. On-demand water heaters are much more effective as they heat water when needed as opposed to keeping a tank of water heated to 120°F twenty-four hours a day.
Lighting
Lighting often accounts for 8-12% of the average sized home’s energy consumption. Swapping ten 72W incandescent lightbulbs for compact fluorescent ones at an equivalent 25W rating will save 1000lbs (455kgs). Natural Resources Canada reports “…by the year 2010, the elimination of inefficient lights alone is expected to save enough energy to heat 200,000 homes and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an amount equivalent to the annual emissions produced by more than 1.7 million automobiles”.
If all the households in America washed their clothes in cold water it would prevent more than 30 million tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere each year.
Washing/Drying Laundry
Wash clothes with the cold water option, it saves wear and tear on the clothes as well as reducing your hot water heating bill. In fact, if all the households in America washed their clothes in cold water it would prevent more than 30 million tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere each year. The laundry line remains the most energy efficient appliance in the house. If you line-dry your clothes in the spring and summer it represents a saving of 700 lbs. of CO2 and an estimated $75 per year.
Water Waste
Fresh water is a rapidly dwindling resource around the world. In fact, according to New Internationalist Magazine, the average resident in Gambia uses 4.5 litres of water per day and the average American uses about 500 litres a day. Currently, more than 1.1 billion people are without access to clean water. Simple water saving tips include; shower instead of bathing, turn off taps when brushing teeth, install low flush toilets, and consider installing rain water catchment systems and a grey-water recycling system for kitchen sink, washing machine and shower water. Reduce unnecessary flushing of the toilet. Even eliminating one toilet flush a day can save up to 1,000 litres of water each year – the daily water use of 222 Gambians.
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