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The average U.S. household produces about 150 pounds of CO2 a day by doing commonplace things like turning on air-conditioning or driving cars. The United States manages five times the global average, mostly because Americans drive more and have bigger houses. But how much should we try to reduce? This is a big question that many Americans are looking at. Ways to cut spending. There are many simple solutions that can make a big difference that can also save you money in the end.

There are a variety of different things that you don’t notice that use energy even when you think they are not. desktop, laptop computer, printer, clock radio, cable TV box, camera battery recharger, carbon monoxide detector, cordless phone base, smoke detector are some examples of power hungry objects. What were they all doing? A study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that "vampire" power sucked up by electronics in standby mode can add up to 8 percent of a house's electric bill. One major easy way that people can cut back is to unplug things when you are not using them. In the end it could save you a bunch of money. Even those cell phone chargers that aren’t plugged in to your phone still sap electricity from the wall even if it is little amounts it still adds up.

If you don’t know where to start saving money on your energy bills then you might want to spend a little to save a lot. A Home Energy Audit is always a great place to start to help not only identify areas to save energy. They tell you were your house is leaking and from there you can find out how you can solve to problem. Most people ask about windows, but there are usually many other areas to target which cost less, and have much greater impact on comfort and reducing energy use. once you find out where the leaks are then you find out the importance of insulation. “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that insulating your whole house can save you 11 to 12 percent of your energy bill overall every year, while cutting your heating and cooling costs by 19 to 20 percent” citation from National Geographic article called home insulation.

The windows are still a problem. If you were to buy Energy Star rating can save you up to 15 percent on your utility bills if not more depending on the region in which you live. Energy-efficient windows are typically double-paned, with an inert gas such as argon or krypton between the panes. These gases insulate better than air. Some energy-efficient windows are designed with a clear coating that reflects infrared and UV rays, keeping your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer, and also preventing artwork and furnishings from fading. Then there is always the appliances that you hear about on television. “When you purchase major appliances such as a refrigerator, stove or washer-dryer, look for energy-efficient models. Appliances must meet rigorous standards to carry the Energy Star label. They must work just as well as less-efficient models, and if they are more expensive, they must show measurable energy savings that allow consumers to recoup the extra cost through lowered utility bills.” Citation from national geographic article called what is considered and energy efficient home. What is CO2? CO2 stands for carbon dioxide. It’s a heavy gas that we give off when we breathe. It is odorless and in some cases dangerous. We live in are surrounded by CO2 every were we go. Our cars produce it. Homes give it off when you turn on the heat. You cook with it, a large percentage of our electricity produced in the united states is from coal or oil power plants which give of tons of CO2 every day. How is this all related to the topic of home energy, well its all related because it costs money to use all of this CO2. We have become dependent on CO2. “A kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in the U.S. produces 1.5 pounds of CO2. Every 100 cubic feet of natural gas emits 12 pounds of CO2.” This quote is from a National geographic article called it starts at home. The United States is one of the largest consumers of CO2. So how do the numbers add up? How much CO2 could we save if the whole nation went on a low carbon diet?” A study by McKinsey & Company, a management consulting firm, estimated that the United States could avoid 1.3 billion tons of CO2 emissions a year, using only existing technologies that would pay for themselves in savings. Instead of growing by more than a billion tons by 2020, annual emissions in the U.S. would drop by 200 million tons a year. We already know, in other words, how to freeze CO2 emissions if we want to.” This is from the national geographic home energy.

There are easy ways to cut back on your carbon footprint. Here is an example of a couple who wanted to cut back and find out easy ways to do so. They walked to the neighborhood pool instead of driving, biked to the farmers market on Saturday morning, and lingered on the deck until dark, chatting over the chirping of the crickets. Whenever possible they worked from home, and when they commuted they took the bus and subway. Even when it got hot and humid, as it does in Virginia in July, they were never really uncomfortable, thanks in part to the industrial-size ceiling fan we installed in the bedroom in late summer. Those are just some every day examples that can make a huge difference.” In 2009, residential use accounted for 38 percent of electricity use in the United States. Total use was about 13 times more than what was used in 1950. Within homes, 60 percent of the electricity used goes toward appliances and lighting, and 16 percent goes toward air-conditioning. Although the national growth in demand for electricity every year has dropped compared to the 9 percent growth a year in the 1950s, it is still expected to increase about 1 percent every year through 2035.” Citation from national geographic in home electric costs.

This wiki post hopefully shed light on the different possibilities of cutting back on electric bills and reducing the carbon footprint. What will you do to reduce that number to as close as zero? It seems like a lot of work and some of it is but it not only is giving you more money to save but also making you a healthier person. By walking or pushing the lawn mower instead of using a rider. There are endless possibilities that are open to the public and all anyone ever needs is to get started. It can fell great realizing home much you are saving with just installing or changing small things that can make a huge difference.