How to reduce CO2 emissions at home - the best TIPS

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Apart from the structural and industrial changes that can be proposed to reduce CO2 emissions, citizens themselves can also contribute our bit. It is estimated that around 19% of polluting gas emissions, such as CO2, come from the domestic sphere. Reducing these emissions is also beneficial for our economy.

If you are interested in learning how to reduce these harmful gases and want to know what you can do at a particular level, pay attention, because in this Green Ecologist article, we will tell you how to reduce CO2 emissions at home.

Data on CO2 emissions in households

In Spain this figure is around 18.5% according to Eurostat. The main determinant of the carbon footprint is the energy source. It is calculated that an average home consumes about 3,500 kilowatts / hour per year. If instead this energy came from renewable sources, such as photovoltaic or mini-wind as we see in the image below, emissions would fall drastically, up to 80% according to experts.

On the web it is possible to find emission calculators, so anyone can know how to calculate the carbon footprint, that is, how much it emits and what fraction of those emissions it could reduce. To use them, we must have our gas and electricity bills and the mileage of our vehicle.

Here are a series of simple activities that could reduce our carbon footprint.

How to reduce CO2 emissions at home using less electricity

According to the experts, it is false to think that leaving the light on has a lower cost than turning it on and off, in terms of expense turn off the lights always compensates.

Regarding the bulbs we use, it is more efficient Led bulbs or low consumption than incandescent or halogen. According to data from the National Center for Environmental Education (CENEAM) in its Green Homes program, incandescent light bulbs use only 5% of the electricity they consume and release the rest in the form of heat.

The phantom consumption of a domestic appliance is the expense produced by an appliance in a state of stand by with respect to the appliance turned on and it is calculated at 15%, according to CENEAM. This fact can be easily remedied by a power strip and a switch to turn them off and on.

Reduce your CO2 emissions while you cook

When it comes to cooking, we can take a series of recommendations to reduce energy consumption, for example turn off the hob or oven a few minutes before finishing cooking and thus take advantage of the heat or when we boil something, place a lid so as not to let the heat escape so that the water boils before.

Although it may seem curious, CENEAM calculates that the simple fact of put a lid on the pot When we boil, it can save 65% energy.

Emit less CO2 with organic and local food

When buying food, it is advisable to look at your composition and origin. A product that has been transported some 3,000 kilometers to our table has generated more polluting emissions than one that is fresh and grown near our home.

Likewise, the more a food is packaged, the more energy it will have used in its production and the more polluting gases will have been emitted. For example, the carbon footprint is higher for meat than for legumes and vegetables.

Check here our article on What are organic foods: definition and examples.

Household appliances are important in the emission of CO2 at home

Currently, household appliances have a label indicating its energy efficiency. In the case of a washing machine, for example, washing cold or up to 30ºC uses much less energy than washing at a higher temperature, since between 80% and 85% of energy is used to heat the water. Short programs also consume less. In the refrigerators, the new ones consume less and in general the larger they are, the greater the consumption. Also, you have to respect the temperatures. In the case of televisions, an LED screen consumes up to 40% less than LCD screens.

So stop reduce CO2 emissions at home, keep in mind what appliances do you buy and how do you use them.

Save water at home and you will reduce CO2 emissions

Frequently, the power of the tap water flow in the houses is greater than necessary. With tap pressure reducers, we can reduce water flow and, therefore, consumption (especially in the case of hot water). All this leads directly to a reduction in the emission of CO2 to the environment.

How to reduce heating consumption and emissions

Make use of a good programming of the heating in the home, we will significantly reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases, for example setting the heat an hour or two before you get home. We will also save on heating if we adapt its temperature to the ambient conditions.

A fundamental way to keep the heat in the house is by having a good thermal insulation that reduces heat losses, especially in doors and windows, where between 25% and 30% of the heat in the house is lost. It is also advisable to replace old boilers with newer ones.

It must be taken into account that each degree of more in the temperature, increases the consumption up to 10%. The house should be ventilated without spending so much time that we lose the heat.

All these tips will help us to reduce energy consumption in our home and, therefore, to reduce our carbon footprint.

If you want to read more articles similar to How to reduce CO2 emissions at home, we recommend that you enter our Pollution category.