What does an energy-conscious household do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
In a nutshell, we need to become much more savvy about how we source and use energy. We need to make a dramatic shift away from using electricity produced from non-renewable and polluting sources to electricity produced from low-carbon and renewable sources, such as wind and sun. Additionally, we need to conserve and become much more energy efficient in our homes through behaviour change as well as choosing to buy more energy-smart gadgets and appliances and building homes that are more energy-smart.
Reducing energy use through energy conservation and efficiency can cut average energy use at home by half. There are also cost-effective ways to switch to 100% renewable sources for all your electricity needs.
Have a look at how Clean Air Charlie did it. Check out Clean Air Charlie's attempts to reduce his total carbon footprint by half and his home's carbon footprint by between 80-100%.
Also visit the Purchasing section to check out smart buying and consumption tips to reduce your total carbon footprint.
Top energy use actions around the home
Here's a quick guide to what a household can do to reduce energy consumption. It also provides an idea of the cost savings and greenhouse emissions reduced with each action. It's really quite easy to reduce your carbon footprint from energy use almost immediately!
Top energy-use actions | % household greenhouse gas reduction Cost savings from action. |
Use correct thermostat settings for automatic heating: 18-20ºC in winter and 24-26ºC in summer. | 4% Saves 15% on heating and cooling costs. |
Install a WELs-rated showerhead. | 4% Saves 20% on hot water costs. |
Use heating and cooling only where and when needed. Draught-seal all doors and windows. Shade externally in summer, and internally in winter. | 5% Saves 20-40% on heating and cooling costs. |
Install energy-efficient lighting and switch off when not in use. | 5% Cuts lighting costs by half. |
Upgrade to gadgets and appliances that are the right size, low-wattage and energy-efficient (at least 4 energy stars), and use them wisely. | 6-10% Saves at least 20% on running costs. |
Turn off standby power and switch off (at the wall) TVs, DVD players, stereos, computers, chargers and gadgets. | 10% Saves 30-35% on running costs |
Install R3 insulation. (Rebate available.) | 13% Saves 45-55% on heating and cooling costs in homes that previously had no insulation. Relatively cheap to install. |
Install a solar hot water system. (Rebate and RECs available.) | 16% Saves 80% on hot water heating costs. With rebate, relatively cheap to install. |
Install solar panels on your roof. (Rebate and RECs available, and excess electricity can be sold into the grid.) | 20-88% Saves 25-100% on electricity costs. Cost of basic installation (with rebate) is equivalent to adding 25-50% to the total cost of your electricity for 3-4 years. |
Buy 100% accredited GreenPower for all your electricity needs. | 88% Adds about 20% to the total cost of your electricity. |
Why not take action now? To calculate your energy use, find solutions, top tips and how-to information, visit: