Reduce Your Carbon Footprint at Home

Simple things you can do at any time to reduce your personal and household emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the leading greenhouse gas contributor to climate change.

Ten Steps You Can Take

Annual carbon dioxide savings are estimates for the described activity or an average household.

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Step	When You Do This	You'll Reduce CO2 by This Much Per Year
1	Replace 30 incandescent light bulbs with LED lamps, which use about 85 percent less energy.	4,000 pounds
2	When replacing your car, choose a more fuel-efficient vehicle. See U.S. Fuel Economy Ratings.	3,000 pounds (with just a 3 MPG improvement)
3	Recycle at least half of your household waste.	2,400 pounds
4	Set thermostats 2°F lower in winter and 2°F higher in summer. Heating and cooling account for half of all home energy use.	2,000 pounds
5	Wrap an insulation blanket around your water heater and set the unit's thermostat to no higher than 120°F.	1,850 pounds
6	Avoid products with excessive packaging to reduce trash by 10 percent.	1,200 pounds
7	Schedule a home energy assessment through Mass Save, a collaborative of utilities and energy service providers that provides energy-saving devices for free, and can suggest insulation and energy efficiency improvements to your home.	1,000 pounds (plus 30% savings on heating & cooling)
8	Use less hot water. Try installing a low-flow shower head and washing your clothes in cold or warm water instead of hot.	850 pounds
9	Vacation closer to home. Air travel is more popular than ever and jet fuel combustion is a major contributor to climate change.	720 pounds (by skipping one round-trip flight of 1,600 miles)
10	Walk, ride your bike, carpool with a friend, or take mass transit whenever possible. See Worksite Commute Options.	500 pounds (by driving just 10 miles less per week)