1. Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle – Cut your atmosphere-polluting emissions up to a third by purchasing a smaller, more fuel-efficient vehi When buying your next car consider a vehicle with manual transmission and fewer options like air conditioning, power windows and heated seats—all of which can increase fuel consumption. Consider a hybrid vehicle.
Carpool or use public transportation. If you own a business, encourage carpooling or allow telecommuting to reduce carbon emissions.
2. Eating
A. Shop at a local farmers’ market for groceries grown in your area. Insist your fruits and vegetables come from your province or some place nearby. Buying local fruits and vegetables helps maintain nearby farmlands and wildlife habitats and reduces the pollution created when produce is shipped great distances.
B. Eating organic meat and produce keeps pesticides and chemical fertilizers off your plate and out of rivers and streams.
C. Eat less meat and animal products. Farm animals emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, and raising animals for food requires many times more land and water than growing food crops. Every time you sit down to a plant-based meal instead of an animal-based meal, you save about 280 gallons of water and protect anywhere from 12 to 50 square feet of land from deforestation, overgrazing, and pesticide and fertilizer pollution
3. Change your light bulbs – Make the switch to energy-saving, compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs or better yet LED. These bulbs use 75 per cent less energy compared to incandescent bulbs
4. Plant a tree
Trees help clean the air from air pollution and, in particular, carbon dioxide—a gas that contributes to global warming. In the developing world trees provide vital food, income and jobs.
Plant deciduous trees on the south and west sides of your home to block the afternoon and evening sun
Shade air conditioning units with trees or shrubs, helping the unit run up to 10% more efficient.
5. Heating and cooling accounts for almost half your energy bill-–about $1,000 a year!
A. changing air filters regularly,
B. using a programmable thermostat
C. Annual maintenance on your heating and cooling equipmen
D. Summer – Raise your thermostat to 78º. If you are away from home for more than eight hours, raise the thermostat setting and you can expect to see up to a 3% savings on cooling costs for each degree of setback.
E Summer -Keep shades closed when the air conditioner is on. Sunny windows account for 40 percent of unwanted heat and can make your air conditioner work two to three times harder.
F. Clear attic vent. If the home has an attic fan, make sure it is functioning properly.
G. Install ceiling fans and make sure they are blowing down The use of ceiling fans can mean savings of around 25% on cooling costs and can make the temperature seem 10 degrees cooler
H. Postpone activities that require hot water and large energy use – such as washing dishes or clothes – to early morning or late evening. Use the dishwasher and clothes washer late in the evening. When used during the day, these appliances produce additional heat, causing your air conditioner to work harder.
I. Use cold water to wash dishes and clothes. Always use cold water for rinsing.
J. Avoid using the stove if possibl Consider grilling outside instead. 22
K. Consider using a gas range or oven as they cost less to operate than electric units
6. Lights and electricity
Unplug equipment not in use. Electric chargers, televisions and audio/video equipment use electricity and produce heat even when they are not in use. Running an older refrigerator can use up to three times the energy of a modern one. Unplug any appliance when it’s not in use. Vacuum refrigerator coils often to keep the unit running efficiently. Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight.
Choose energy efficient office machines to reduce costs and carbon emissions.
Place the washing machine near the hot water heater because water loses heat as it flows through pipes.
Activate your computer’s sleep mode when you leave your desk. This reduces electricity consumption to less than 5 percent of full power. Or simply cut it off For fax machines and printers, use refillable ink cartridges and recycle old ones.
Turn off lights. Turn lights off when exiting a room.
Use three-way lamps. They make it easier to keep lighting levels low when bright light is not necessary.
Install lighting occupancy sensors or timers in rooms that aren’t used often. Consider electric mowers and trimmers. For smaller yards, try a reel mower. Consider solar-powered accent lighting for yard and garden.
Defrost your manual unit freezer regularly. Frost buildup increases the amount of energy needed to keep the motor running.
Use rechargeable batteries; they can last up to twice as long as disposables.
Don’t keep your refrigerator too cold. The ideal temperature is between 32°-39°. 23
7. Seal and insulate your home
Reduce air leaks and stop drafts by using caulk, weather stripping, and insulation to seal your home’s envelope and add more insulation to your attic to block out heat and cold. Savings up to 20% on heating and cooling costs and significantly enhance home comfort with comprehensive sealing and insulating measures.
Seal around holes from pipes and wires that enter or exit your home’s living space.
Add insulation to the attic. Your home should have a minimum R-30 insulation in the ceiling or attic.
Consider replacing old windows with new high-performance, dual-pane windows.
8. Reduce, reuse, recycle
A. Reducing, reusing, and recycling in your home helps conserve energy and reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from resource extraction, manufacturing, and disposal
B. Composting your food and yard waste reduces the amount of garbage that you send to landfills and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
C. Be more eco-efficien Use a mug or glass instead of Styrofoam or paper cups
D. Try to buy items that are reusable or come in reusable packaging – Take your lunch to work in a reusable container.
9. Use water efficiently
It takes lots of energy to pump, treat, and heat water, so saving water reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Saving water around the home is simple. Three percent of the nation’s energy is used to pump and treat water so conserving water conserves energy that reduces greenhouse gas pollution. Fix leaky toilets -a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day
Running your dishwasher only with a full load can save 100 pounds of carbon dioxide and $40 per year.
Only water when needed, and do it during the coolest part of the day; early morning is best.
Don’t let the water run while shaving or brushing teeth
Install low-flow showerheads and faucets. They’re inexpensive, easy to install and reduce energy and
hot water use.
To save on water heating costs, use cold water to wash dishes and run the garbage disposal.
10. Dominion Power
1. Home and Small Business conservation program
2. Smart Cooling rewards
More than 100,000 customers in Virginia and North Carolina already participate and help Dominion Energy reduce energy demand equal to more than 20,000 homes.
3. Appliance recycling – Get $20 when you recycle your old, inefficient refrigerator or freezer.