Climate change seems so... global.
Yet many climate change solutions are very... local, because they're based on the way each and every one of us uses energy. Here are ten ways you can reduce the climate change impact of your home.
1. Caulk or weatherstrip windows and doors. Heating accounts for the biggest chunk of most utility bills -- and offers the most opportunities for money and energy savings. Did you know that the energy used by the average home generates twice as much pollution as the average car? Materials for the average twelve-window, two-door house could cost about $25, but savings in annual energy costs might amount to more than 10 percent of your yearly heating bill. According to the Department of Energy, if every gas-heated home were properly caulked and weather-stripped, we'd save enough natural gas each year to heat almost 4 million more homes. You can find weatherstripping at most hardware stores. To minimize indoor air pollution from the weatherstripping materials you use, try water-based caulks like Quick Shield VOC-Free Sealant or Polyseamseal.
2. Install storm windows and doors. Combination screen and storm windows and doors are the most convenient and energy efficient because they can be opened easily when there is no need to run heating or cooling equipment. Installing high efficiency ENERGY STAR windows can reduce heating and cooling costs by 15 percent; you can save from $125-$340 a year when you replace single pane windows with their ENERGY STAR equivalents. If you don't want to buy new windows, cover existing windows with a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet on the frame. You can buy a ready-made kit again at most hardware stores. A third alternative? Thermal draperies, made with a thick, fiber-filled backing to fit snugly against the entire window frame, can reduce heat loss by as much as 50 percent and save you $15 per window each winter. Even simple heavy drapes can save about $10 per window annually.
3. Insulate. You can reduce your energy needs by as much as 20 to 30 percent, and save about four months' worth of household energy, by investing in insulation. Focus on your attic floor or top floor ceiling, crawlspace, exterior walls, basement ceilings and walls, and rooms over unheated spaces, like garages. The "Simply Insulate" website, maintained by the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association, will tell you how much insulation you need in the different parts of your house, depending on where you live. Think about using cotton insulation made from recycled cotton or denim scrap that will have no impact on your indoor air quality, unlike the formaldehyde ingredients in fiberglass insulation.
4. Install a programmable thermostat.
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