There is plenty you can do in your home this fall and winter to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, those gases that cause the atmosphere to trap heat and warm the planet beyond its comfort zone. We all want to help reverse global warming and the small steps you take right in your own home can make a difference.
One fast way to help the planet and your energy bill is to install an Energy Star qualified programmable thermostat. (The Energy Star symbol means products are among the most energy efficient in the marketplace.) By programming the thermostat lower when you don't need as much heat – such as when you aren't home or when you are asleep – you are reducing the emissions the furnace gives off.
As a bonus, you can also expect 10% to 15% in savings from your heating bill each year.
Even when you are home, you can help reduce greenhouse gases by setting the thermostat a little lower. For every degree you drop, you can save 3% on your heating bill. Another simple way to help conserve energy is to hire a certified heating contractor to service your furnace; a well-maintained furnace with clean filters and burners will use 10% to 15% less energy – and less energy burned translates into fewer greenhouse gases sent into the air.
On average, most of us can reduce our carbon footprint by 40%, simply by making changes like these to use energy more efficiently in our homes, says Suzanne Deschênes, acting deputy director of housing in Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency.
Halifax homeowner Bruce Cameron did that two years ago when he replaced his 25-year-old furnace with a new, high-efficiency model. "The environmental benefits from making the switch helped me make the decision," he says, adding that reducing his home heating cost was a big incentive, too. Cameron estimates that his heating bill was reduced by about 40% right away.
How old is your furnace? (If you don't know, check the model number with the manufacturer.) Furnaces over 15 years old typically waste 40% of all their energy – not great for the environment or your heating bill. But, as Cameron discovered, a condensing gas furnace, on average, uses 33% to 38% less energy than old models. It can also save you up to 25% of your home heating costs, and you can recoup your initial investment in just a few years.
When shopping for a furnace, look for one with the Energy Star symbol, because it guarantees an efficiency rating of at least 90% – well above the 60% efficiency of your old clunker.
You can keep your home warmer – and burn less fuel – by keeping it well insulated.
If you live in an older house with poor insulation, you can reduce the emissions caused by the heating of your house by as much as 75%.
- Weather strip and caulk around drafty doors and windows, and seal attic hatches and chimneys. Air leaks in a home can add up to the equivalent of an open window.
- Consider your electricity use, since utilities are one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gases. With the colder weather come longer days of darkness – which often means turning lights on earlier and leaving them on longer.
- Switch to Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). They produce the same light output as incandescent bulbs, but use approximately one-quarter of the energy.
Now is a great time to make energy-saving upgrades to your home, says Mark Salerno of Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation, because of all the financial incentives. The Home Renovation Tax Credit is available until February 1, 2010, and allows you to receive a tax credit to a maximum of $1,350 on home repairs and upgrades of up to $10,000. The ecoENERGY Retrofit Program provides grants of up to $5,000 to property owners to offset the cost of making energy efficiency improvements. Depending on where you live, Salerno says you can also take advantage of "matching provincial and municipal programs."
So don't feel left out in the cold when it comes to helping slow climate change. The fact is, you have the power to make a difference this winter – for both the health of the planet and your pocketbook.