Tips to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint in the Summertime
Summer is one of the most anticipated and hectic times of the year. With all of the excitement surrounding this season, it is easy to forget to make an effort to reduce your carbon footprint. Forgetting this is not only bad for the environment, but also your wallet! That is why Green Light is here to give you a few easy tips that will help you reduce your energy usage (and bill) this summertime.
Turn up your thermostat. A good temperature to keep your thermostat set to in the summer is 78°. Turning the temperature up just two degrees in the summertime will reduce your carbon emissions by 2,000 pounds a year. Even if you like it cooler when you are home you can still make a difference by remembering to turn your thermostat up when you are out of the house.
Change your filters regularly. You rely more on your AC in the summer than any other time of year. This means it is especially important that you make sure you are changing out your filters. Clean filters allow the system to run more efficiently while dirty filters make it so that you need to use more energy to cool the same amount of space. Just by replacing your AC filters as directed you can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide and $150 per year. Keep in mind that while AC companies suggest replacing your filter every three months, it is actually recommended that New Orleans residents change them out once a month because of the high pollen and mold content in the air.
Use your fans. When a fan is on you should be able to raise your AC by 4° without feeling any change in comfort.
Learn how to use the sun’s light to your advantage. It is great to use natural light to brighten a room instead of turning on light bulbs. Sometimes, however, the sun can also bring unwanted heat into your house, so get to know which windows bring in the light you want. South and north facing windows let in indirect light, which will light a room without adding as much heat. Your east and west facing windows are the ones to avoid, because these are the directions in which the sun’s rays will produce glares and bring in heat. It is best to use window shades to keep this light out.
Turn down your water heater. Outside temperatures are burning up; do you really want your water to be burning too? If you turn the water heater down to 120° you will still have hot enough water for your shower, but you will be able to save 550 pounds of carbon dioxide and $30 per year.
Hang your clothes to dry. Dryers waste a lot of energy and the summer sun can dry your clothing quickly. But if you do use your dryer, only run it when full and make sure to clean the lint trap after every use.
BBQ. Ovens give off a lot of heat and can easily increase the temperature of your kitchen. Grilling outdoors is not only festive and fun this time of year, but also provides a cooking alternative that requires less energy usage.
As always, we at Green Light remind you that changing out your light bulbs for energy efficient CFL bulbs is a simple way to lower your carbon footprint.
You can check out more tips here.