Reducing Your Carbon Footprint At Home

Daily Decisions That Make A Difference

1. Convert incandescent bulbs to more energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs. The Department of Energy estimates converting only a quarter of your bulbs to CFL's can cut your lighting bill in half
2. Turn Them Off - If you are going to be gone more than five minutes turn off all lights when you leave
3. Install honeycomb blinds which trap heat
4. Natural light is the most efficient light - open blinds during the day and close them at night to conserve energy

1. Run Dishwasher Only When Full
2. Scrape the Plate - Scraping plates rather than rinsing helps save water
3. Use Excess Water for Plants
4. Cleaning Cloths instead of paper towels - The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that if every household in the United States used one less roll of paper towels, we could save 544,000 trees
5. Energy efficient refrigerator - refrigerators are the biggest energy drain appliance in the house - if your refrigerator is more than 10 years old, consider replacing with a new Energy Star model

1. Turn off water when brushing teeth
2. Check for leaky toilet - a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water a month
3. Install an energy efficient showerhead - showers use the largest amount of household hot water. Convert to a AAA showerhead to reduce water flow
4. Consider a shower timer - in addition to saving water, it will save you money as well. A typical family of four can save over $400 annually in water and energy fees.

1. Lower your thermostat. You will save 3-5% for every 10 degrees you lower the temperature
2. Wash clothes in cold water with cold water detergent and cut your energy usage by 50%
3. Look for the Star - When replacing home appliances make sure your new model comes with the EnergyStar rating
4. Get Smart! Look into a programmable thermostat. Many utility companies currently offer special promotions if you are willing to switch. Some will even provide the thermostat and install it for free.
5. Unplug It - the computer, your cell phone charger, video game console, dvd player, all of those electronics still drain electricity even when not in use. A great way to identify all those "phantom" drains is to walk through your home in the dark and look for all the red and green lights still blinking at you. If you don't really need them - turn them off!
6. Opt Out - Printed phone books waste a tremendous amount of paper and ink. Visit www.yellowpagesoptout.com for an easy way to opt out of multiple directories at once.

• Carbon Offsets - What Does It Mean?
• Can I Really Make A Difference?
• Reducing Your Carbon Footprint On The Road
• Reducing Your Carbon Footprint When You Shop
• How to buy Carbon Credits