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CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about
300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
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Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at
night and raise them again in the morning. They can save you $100 a year on your
energy bill.
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Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could
save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.
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Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
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Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models
available.
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Use the "on/off" function on the machine itself. A TV set that's switched
on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby
mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.
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You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action.
You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than
50°C.
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Placing them next to the cooker or boiler consumes much more energy than if they
were standing on their own. For example, if you put them in a hot cellar room where
the room temperature is 30-35ºC, energy use is almost double and causes an
extra 160kg of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 320kg for freezers.
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Even better is to replace them with newer models, which all have automatic defrost
cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient than their predecessors.
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When airing your house, open the windows for only a few minutes. If you leave a
small opening all day long, the energy needed to keep it warm inside during six
cold months (10ºC or less outside temperature) would result in almost 1 ton
of CO2 emissions.
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This requires a bit of upfront investment, but will halve the energy lost through
windows and pay off in the long term. If you go for the best the market has to offer
(wooden-framed double-glazed units with low-emission glass and filled with argon
gas), you can even save more than 70% of the energy lost.
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Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated
or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds
of carbon dioxide a year. EcoSmart
are our home audit partner specialist.
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Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better
are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70%!
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If you need to use it when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy setting.
There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays detergents are so efficient
that they get your clothes and dishes clean at low temperatures.
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A shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath. To maximise the energy
saving, avoid power showers and use low-flow showerheads, which are cheap and provide
the same comfort.
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It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing
a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing
your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.
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You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months
out of the year.
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Properly insulating your walls and ceilings can save 25% of your home heating bill
and 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Caulking and weather-stripping can save
another 1,700 pounds per year.
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You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste
your household generates.
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Around 3% of the greenhouse gas emissions through the methane is released by decomposing
bio-degradable waste. By recycling organic waste or composting it if you have a
garden, you can help eliminate this problem! Just make sure that you compost it
properly, so it decomposes with sufficient oxygen, otherwise your compost will cause
methane emissions and smell foul.
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