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Solutions at home
There are many ways you save energy and reduce CO2 emissions at home. . Finding more efficient and less costly ways to heat, cool, and light up your home, and run your appliances, can help to reduce greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2)—a primary contributor to global warming. Here you’ll find money- and energy-saving advice and articles, plus links to resources that can help you save even more.
Large-scale solutions, such as developing cleaner energy sources nationwide, are also crucial. But individual consumers also can take steps that will make difference.
What size is your carbon footprint? According to recent government estimates, the average carbon footprint — the CO2 emissions associated with a particular lifestyle — for a two-person household is about 42,000 pounds (22 tons) each year. Since that amount will vary depending on where you live and your particular lifestyle, you can get a personalized estimate by using an online carbon footprint calculator.
Start saving carbon at home. Below is a list of 6 steps your household can take to reduce CO2 emissions by potentially thousands of pounds. According to the experts at the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund, U.S. households produce 21 percent of the country's CO2 pollution. But families can reduce their carbon footprint by up to 2/3rds. and if every household in the U.S. made energy-efficient choices, we could save 800 million tons of global warming pollution—more than the heat-trapping emissions from over 100 countries. That would go a long way toward stabilizing our climate.
For each action below, we’ve indicated the amount of money that you can save over the course of a year. Actions are prioritized by those with the largest savings at the top of the list to the smallest at the end. That way, you’ll have a framework for choosing the most effective ways to reduce your "carbon footprint."
The savings listed below range from $400 to about $30 a year with the biggest savings gains from fixing leaky ducts and programming your thermostat.
1. Fix leaky ducts
Pay a qualified heating and cooling pro to seal and insulate heating and cooling ducts that run through your home, especially in unconditioned spaces.
 Yearly savings $400
2. Program your thermostat
You can trim up to 20 percent from your heating and cooling bills by adjusting temperatures 5 to 10 degrees at night or when you're not home. A programmable thermostat will make the setbacks for you. Devices cost about $80, and some utilities offer rebates.
Yearly savings $200
3. Tame hidden energy use
Between 5 and 10 percent of residential electricity goes to devices that draw power when they're off or in standby mode. Video games are a major offender. Turn them off when you pry the controls out of your kid's hands.
Yearly savings $125
4. Stop pre-rinsing
Washing dishes before you put them in the dishwasher wastes up to 6,500 gallons of water per year, plus the cost to heat that water. And our tests show that it's unnecessary.
Yearly savings $75
5. Wash in cold water
Think that won't get your clothes clean? Think again. Tide 2X Ultra for Cold Water for traditional washers, which we tested using cold water, ranked best overall at removing grass, wine, and other tough stains in our tests.
Yearly savings $60
6. Adjust modes
Manufacturers often ship televisions in "retail mode" to ensure the best picture quality under bright showroom lights. But the more efficient "home mode" is fine for most types of viewing
Yearly savings $30 to $60
Last updated October 2010
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