Hi! Thanks for returning to my blog for #worldwednesday. Let's face it--as Americans we have one of the world's highest per-person carbon emissions rates. Did you know that much of your personal carbon load can be traced back to a little place called home? In other words, the climate change battleground is even closer than your own backyard. It's in your kitchen, bathroom, and all throughout your home. So, if you're serious about doing your part to fight climate change, here are a few tips and tricks to get you started:
Kitchen:
* Keep your refrigerator running efficiently by vacuuming out the vents along the bottom. Deice your freezer if it doesn't have an auto-defrost option. Keep the blender, coffee maker and toaster unplugged when not in use. In the winter, leave the oven door open after use to release the warm air into your home.
* Upgrade your fridge. A new Energy Star-certified model offers major carbon savings. Replacing an old refrigerator-especially one that is over 10 years old can save up to 5,000 pounds of carbon pollution over five years. And, make sure to recycle your old refrigerator. By making sure that outdated model isn't reused, you'll prevent an additional 10,000 pounds of carbon emissions.
Bathroom:
* Fix any plumbing leaks-sinks, tubs, showers and toilets. The tiniest drip can add up to a lot of wasted water. Better yet, install water-saving faucets and toilets. Fixing household water leaks can save homeowners about 10 percent on their water bills. Remember, one drip per second wastes 1,661 gallons of water.
* Screw LEDs into your vanity. Some bathroom vanity lighting fixtures come with several round bulbs. If yours use incandescent bulbs, seize this opportunity to maximize energy savings by swapping in LEDs. They use up to 90 percent less energy.
All Living Areas:
* Change the filter in your furnace every month. If the filter is allowed to collect dust, it will make your furnace work harder, use more energy and potentially shorten it's life span. According to the Department of Energy, the average household spends about $2,200.00 a year on its energy bill. When you consistently change your air filter you can save from 5 to 15 percent on your utility costs.
* Install a programmable thermostat to save energy. That way you can program the system to turn down the heat if no one is at home, or any time you leave the house. Many utility companies perform home energy audits for their customers. An energy audit can let you know where you're being wasteful, and where you can save energy and money.
* Unplug fully charged devices. Some 23 percent of the electricity consumed in U.S. homes today vanishes as standby power, constantly feeding our perpetually plugged-in phones. If you can, charge in the morning when you're getting ready instead of letting them sit fully juiced sucking energy throughout the night.
* In cold weather, reverse the direction of your ceiling fan so that it rotates clockwise, pushing the warm air from the ceiling back down into the room.
Check back next week to learn more energy saving solutions. See you soon! Warmly, Susan