What is Your Home’s Carbon Footprint?
Guest post by Andy Boyd
Most homeowners today realise the need for cutting back on energy consumption and having homes that are more energy-efficient. You may already have switched to compact fluorescent light bulbs or adjusted your thermostat. Let’s take a look at some other ways you can be more responsible and reduce the carbon footprint of your home. You can find out more about reducing your carbon on Mortgages.co.uk.
1. Monitor Your Home’s Energy Usage
Are you aware of how much your old appliances cost yearly in energy? There is a device you can buy called the Kill-A-Watt. It monitors the energy usage of the various appliances in your home. It has a big LCD display and lets you forecast costs. If you learn that your old fridge is costing you $25 a month to run, you might want to send it to a museum and get a more energy-efficient model.
2. Compost Your Leftover Food
Rotting food in landfills releases methane gas, which is 20 times more powerful of a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Composting will also save you money on buying expensive fertilisers for your garden and household plants. If done correctly, it will not attract pests and is hassle-free.
3. Bring Your Clothesline Out of Retirement
Ditching your dryer can save you about $25 per month on your utility bill, and will prevent many hundreds of pounds of greenhouse gasses from being released into the air. Sunny and windy days are best for letting your clothes air dry. You will also save money on fabric softener, although many people still choose to use the liquid version in with their washer.
4. Use Smaller Appliances
The average refrigerator in the U.S. is 18-26 cubic feet, while in Europe it is only 9 cubic feet. Also, about one quarter of U.S. households have more than one refrigerator. Many times the second fridge is over 15 years old, meaning it is far less energy-efficient. People love their huge fridges, but these large appliances eat up a great deal of energy. Are you really using all that space? A fridge can account for up to 25% or your utility bill each month. Consider switching to a smaller, Energy Star fridge to lower the carbon footprint of your home.
5. Get a Roommate
There are 350 percent more single-person households today than there were in 1960. Those who are living alone use about 19 percent more energy than households with two or more people. They use 53 percent more energy than households with three people. If you live alone, you will be able to greatly diminish your carbon footprint by getting a cheap apartment and taking on a roommate.
6. Buy Green Power
According to the Department of Energy, the average U.S. household creates about 9 tons of carbon emissions yearly. Most of that comes from coal, which generates about half of our electricity.
Changing from the “dirty power” provided by your utility company to renewable energy can save quite a bit of carbon. More of them are launching programs that let you assist them in investing in renewable energy and reduce your carbon footprint. You will, however, be paying a bit more for green power, but you can find savings in other areas to offset this expense.
7. Become a Vegetarian During the Week
Activity generated to supply your diet has a big impact on the environment and climate. Many people are unwilling to give up meat, even though they know it can be healthier for them. You can split the difference by giving up meat on weekdays. It is cheaper than meat, simple, and easy to remember.
8. Buy Local for Your Home Meals
Just about everything you buy for your meals has an associated carbon cost. Things like the electricity cost to manufacture products to transportation costs. Fruits and vegetables travel an average of 1,500 miles before they reach your grocery store. You can buy from local farmers’ markets, support your local economy, and lower your carbon footprint at the same time.
