The Climate Change Collective is an initiative where the blogging community unites behind a common goal. Today, the conversation continues with the sixth post in the series. Cristiana from Crisbie Coach has some ways to use less energy at home. By implementing these tips, you’ll be kind to your bank balance and the Earth at the same time. Win-Win!
How to use less energy at home
In her post, Cristiana reports that households generate roughly a quarter of all CO2 emissions in the E.U. That’s a sign that our individual efforts to live more sustainably do matter.
Here in Canada, data from Statistics Canada indicates that 40.9% of greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to households. That number does includes transportation and the goods and services we consume. Even so, consumption of natural gas, heating, and electricity in our homes accounts for about a quarter of those emissions. (Source: Statistics Canada)
Heating our homes and the water we use in our homes accounts for 80% of home energy use in Canada. (Source: Natural Resources Canada) This represents a big opportunity for savings. With many people struggling to make ends meet in this time of high inflation, every bit helps.
For practical tips on how you can save money and help save the planet by using less energy at home, please check out Cristiana’s post.
However, by taking small steps at home, not only you can save energy (and money) but also you will help to protect the environment by reducing your emissions.
Cristiana, Crisbie Coach
How you can reduce your energy consumption and save money by saving the planet
Consider adjusting your thermostat
In addition to the excellent tips in Cristiana’s post, one of the best ways to save money on your home energy bills is by installing a programmable thermostat. In fact, the US Department of Energy says that lowering your thermostat by 7-10 degrees Fahrenheit for eight hours a day in winter can save you up to 10% on your heating bills.
If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, you can still realize significant savings by just setting your thermostat a degree or two lower in winter, and higher in summer.
For more tips and ideas on how you can use less energy, take a look at this post from 2021.
Let’s keep in touch! Join my mailing list and I’ll email you when I add a new post.
About the Climate Change Collective
The Climate Change Collective was born out of an exchange that took place when I left a comment on a blog post by Jamie Ad Stories. Jamie and I wanted to find a way to keep the climate change message top of mind for everyone, so I put out a tweet to see what kind of interest there would be in a climate-change-related blogging collaboration. The Climate Change Collective was born!
The members of the collective take turns writing a monthly blog post sharing their unique perspective about climate change. After the post is published, the rest of the group keeps the conversation going by sharing a link to the post on their blogs along with their thoughts and ideas.
If you’re a like-minded blogger and would like to join our collective, please get in touch. More voices joining the conversation means more attention to the problems plaguing our planet!
More Climate Change Collective posts
If you missed any of the other posts in the series, here they are:
- How climate change impacts your health…and your wallet
- Understanding how climate action redefines our future – Molly, Transatlantic Notes
- Travel with climate change – Jamie, JamieAdStories
- How climate change impacts animals – Caroline, Enviroline Blog
- How our need to shop is ruining our planet – A Sustainably Simple Life
- Residential solar panels: 2022 year in review– A Sustainably Simple Life
- How you can reduce your energy consumption and save money by saving the planet – Crisbie Coach
- 6 ways to reduce the environmental cost of experiences
- Returning to past habits – Smelly Socks And Garden Peas
- How green spaces help our planet A Sustainably Simple Life
- The benefits of active travel – Could it save you and the planet? – Midlife on Earth
- A Greener World – Debunking Myths About Climate Change – Molly, Transatlantic Notes
- Microforests – A tiny idea with big potential
- The impact climate change has on food security and how to help – Caroline, Enviroline Blog
- Reconnecting with nature and self by disconnecting from the world – A Sustainably Simple Life
- Wrapping Up Doesn’t Have to Be a Waste – Jamie, JamieAdStories
- It’s cold outside – The difference between weather and climate
- Our climate action does not need to be perfect – Molly, Transatlantic Notes
Using less energy in our homes is one way we can reduce our environmental impact. Many of the changes Cristiana suggests aren’t difficult but they will make a difference.
Do you have other ideas on how to use less energy in your home? Tell me your ideas below.
I really like all these practical tips that Cristiana came up with and inspired all of us int he collective to look into. I’ve found a few things I can do that I wasn’t doing before so that has been a real help. I feel very fortunate that I move last year into an apartment complex that is very well maintained and insulated so I do not have to have the heating on very often or for too long (even on cold days). It really showed me how important insulation is!
That’s right, Molly. Insulation makes a big difference. Our house is pretty well insulated, too which keeps our heating bills manageable.
Turning the light off when leaving one room is really simple and turning down the heating is not only good for the planet but also for your health especially in the bedroom. Let’s spread around our communities these simple acts! Thank you!
That is so true about the heating, Cristiana. I sleep so much better when the room is cooler. That’s great in winter but not so great in summer when I want to save energy by not running the air conditioning too much.
Something as simple as turning off lights when you leave a room is a good habit too. Good post, Michelle.
That’s a great point Judy. I remember rolling my eyes when my dad would harp on at us about turning off lights when we were younger. He was right, though. It is a good habit to get into.
The list for reducing consumption on Crisbie Coach is a fantastic one.
It’s really interesting to see that heating and water use makes up 80% of energy use in our homes here. It makes a lot of sense and does make it feel like there are good opportunities to reduce those numbers.
You’re right. There is a huge opportunity to reduce without creating a lot of hardship. I’m always amazed when I go inside buildings in the winter and the heat is stifling. Last week, when I was in Chicago, my hotel room was literally 85 degrees when I arrived. What a waste! The first thing I did was turn down the heat. Just an adjustment of one or two degrees on the thermostat makes a huge difference.