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Reducing Your Electricity Consumption

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The generation of electricity from burning fossil fuels represents the largest source of greenhouse gases. Reducing electric consumption, therefore, is the most important action in curbing global warming. The goal here is to reduce your electric consumption by 15 percent or more. The actions mentioned below cut energy waste and do not deprive or reduce your standard of living. However, these actions do require you to make a conscious effort and to "'reprogram" the way you use electricity. You should be motivated here by two points: first, you're helping the environment in the most important way since electricity production is responsible for the largest portion of greenhouse gases that cause global warming, and, secondly, you're saving yourself money. (more)

KEY STATISTIC

"Almost 65 percent of the world's electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels, most of which comes from
the most polluting kind-- coal.

The damage to the environment is not only emissions
of greenhouse gases, but also acid rain and heavy
metal poisoning from mercury and arsenic fallout
in drinking water and ocean fisheries."

The most critical actions for electricity

1… Switch off lights and electric appliances and devices.

Just turn it off. Practice conservation by switching off lights and turning off electric appliances whenever you are not using them. This means not leaving lights on when rooms are not occupied; it means not leaving your TV or computer on when absent. (Click 10 Best Tips at left for more details.)

2… When at home, set your air conditioning to above 78°F / 26°C.

Smart air conditioning. If you use air conditioning, it represents the largest seasonal electric consumption in your home. Follow this guideline to better conserve this energy use: Set the temperature of your air conditioner above 78°F/26°C when you're home and turn it off when you're absent. (Click 10 Best Tips at left for more details.)

3… Use compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs, please! Change your most frequently used lighting to compact fluorescent bulbs. This is an important factor, because, other than seasonal air conditioning, lighting uses the largest percentage of a home's annual electric consumption, from 10 to 13 percent. Luckily there's a new technological solution other than returning to darkness... compact fluorescent bulbs. These bulbs save up to 75 percent in energy over ordinary incandescent bulbs while delivering the same light intensity without heating the bulb (in conventional tungsten bulbs most of the energy is lost through heat). One compact florescent bulb over its lifetime avoids 1000-2000 lbs/0.5-1 metric tonne of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. (Click 10 Best Tips at left for more details.)

4… Set your refrigerator temperature; replace old fridge with a new 'free' one!

Check out your fridge. Set your refrigerator temperature between 36° and 40°F/2-5°C and your freezer between 0°F and 5°F/-18°C to -15°C. Also, test the door sealing (click 10 Best Tips at left for more details). If your refrigerator is more than 5 years old, replace it with a new energy efficient model displaying the EnergyStar label or having an energy rating of 'A'. The savings in your electricity bill will pay for the new refrigerator, so in essence it's free!

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