Reduce Your Carbon Footprint at Home

 

Electricity:

  • Calculate your carbon footprint:  https://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator/
  • Learn if solar panels are an option for your home
  • Replace all your light bulbs with their LED equivalent
  • Install “smart” power strips that remove phantom loads
  • Choose Energy Star appliances and lookup rebates here:

http://www.hudsonlight.com/Customer_Service/conservation.html

 

Heating:

  • Contact Hudson Light & Power for a home energy assessment
  • Learn about heat pumps for heating/cooling all or some of your home—there are good rebate programs available
  • Install a programmable thermostat to reduce the temperature by 8-10 degrees when you are not at home or when you are sleeping
  • Improve hot water heating efficiency by converting your hot water system to an electric tank-less system or air source heat pump system (which also dehumidifies your basement)

 

Recycling:

  • Use refillable water bottles instead of single-use plastic bottles
  • Switch to recyclable/compostable K-cups and pods for making coffee
  • Use recyclable or multi-use paper plates/cups/table ware instead of single use-or plastic table ware
  • Bring reusable shopping bags and sturdy, washable produce bags to carry your groceries
  • For difficult to recycle items visit: https://recycleyourreusables.wordpress.com/

 

Transportation:

  • Combine multiple errands into a single trip and carpool whenever possible
  • Purchase an electric or electric/hybrid car for your next vehicle
  • Support “complete streets” designed for bicycles and pedestrians as well as cars

 

Water and Garden:

  • If you can’t have your own compost pile, look into community options
  • Install rain sensors for your sprinkler systems
  • Use rain barrels to conserve water and reduce storm water runoff
  • Plant native plants for pollinators and soil resilience
  • Use organic fertilizers and avoid use of chemical sprays
  • Replace tanbark mulch with ground covers to sequester CO2 and improve soil

 

Other:

  • Donate to your favorite environmental group
  • Reduce the number of nights per week that your family eats meat for dinner
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