1. Change Your Thermostat:
Decrease Your Carbon Footprint 2,000 lbs
By simply changing your thermostat by two degrees, you will get a decrease in carbon emissions of 2,000 pounds and also save $98! Because space heating and cooling takes such a tremendous amount of energy, just this slight change helps reduce global warming effects more than you might think. During the hot months, turn the thermostat up two degrees and in the cold months, turn it down two degrees.
The most efficient way for you to control temperature is to use a programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats allow you to maintain the desired temperature only when your family (or employees, if at your business) are in the building and awake. Consult your thermostat's owner's manual to learn how to program it. If you are unable to find the manual, it is very likely that you can download it from the manufacturer's web site.
Reduce your impact even further by considering decreasing your reliance on carbon-intensive heating. In the summer, opening windows to allow for cross-ventilation combined with the use of fans could easily achieve some of the cooling of air conditioning, just as wearing layered clothing in the winter could take the place of a furnace or space heater in more mild cold spells.
2. Adjust Your Water Heater:
Decrease Your Carbon Footprint 500 lbs
When shipped, water heaters are
typically set to 140°F. However, most households' needs can still
be met after decreasing this setting to 120°F or lower. By making this miniscule change you can reduce your carbon emissions by 500 lbs per year and save $30!Your home will be much safer when you make the decision to turn down your hot water heater. Imagine this scenario: using the water from a hot tub or jacuzzi (usually between 100°F and 110°F) to shower or wash dishes or clothes. Any hotter than that and you actually risk burning yourself! [1] It is likely that you won't even notice a difference in the temperature of the water at the faucet after making this change. Perhaps you'll be so impressed that you will try lowering the temperature even more.
3. Run Your Dishwasher Full:
Decrease Your Carbon Footprint 200 lbs
The energy used to heat water, spray it on the dishes and finally dry them can add a lot to your carbon footprint. Try loading the machine completely before running it. By doing so, you will save $40 annually while recuding your carbon emissions by 200 pounds!
It is crucial to remember to use the machine's energy-saving setting for drying dishes and to not use heat to dry them. If you are unsure about how to do this, consult the appliance's owner's manual or look for it online. As a last resort, you can always turn the machine off when it gets to the drying cycle and let the dishes air dry.
Your Total Carbon Footprint
Reduction: 2,700 lbs
This quantity of carbon dioxide emissions is roughly equivalent to what would be saved by driving a compact car 4,000 fewer miles each year. And on top of that, you'll get an annual dollar savings of $168! But don't stop there- there are many more ways you can help prevent global warming.
More Ways You Can Help
Here is a great way you can help stop global warming and make a real difference.
For businesses concerned with what kind of impact they may be having on the environment, you can hire a carbon accounting service to calculate just how big of a carbon footprint your company is leaving. You can use the data they give you to make better, more eco-friendly business decisions, which can help you be more green while saving more green
