30 Bright Ideas: 30 More Carbon and Money Saving Tips (53,174 lbs of CO2 and £5,500 ($8,280) saved per year)!

Bright IdeasHere are 30 more great tips that have the potential to save you tons of CO2 and cash at the same time!

If an individual did all 30 actions on this list then they would save an average of 53,174 lbs of CO2 each year.  That is the equivilant of completely removing nearly 40 cars from the roads in the UK every year (while saving £5,500 ($8,280) in the process)!

1.  Double Pane

-       Switch out your windows for double pane glass.  If you change 6 medium – large size windows you save:  10,000 lbs of CO2 and $450.00/year.

2.  Flow Low

-       Install a low flow shower head.  Less water = less heating = less pollution!:  300 lbs of CO2 and $150/year.

3.  Boiler Brilliance

-       Insulate your hot water heater and keep the temperature no higher than 120 F.:  1,500 lbs of CO2 and $70/year.

4.  Hybridize.

-       If you buy a new car, buy a hybrid.  Between tax credits and fuel saved:  16,000 lbs of CO2 and $3,750/year.

5.  Car Pool

-       Car pool to work just two days out of the week:  1,600 lbs of CO2 and $200/year.

6.  Light Friendly

-       Replace 3 frequently used light bulbs with long lasting fluorescent ones:  300 lbs of CO2 and $60/year.

7.  Going Tankless

-       Even better yet, switch to a tankless water boiler.  If you do this you will have hot water on demand rather than always maintaining a hot water supply.  This is far more efficient and gives you an ‘unlimited’ supply of hot water.  300 lbs of CO2 and $390/year.

8.  Geting Cozy

-    Fully insulate your ceilings and walls to keep the warm in:  2,000 lbs of CO2 and $245/year.

9.  Upgrade that Fridge.

-       Here is a chance to upgrade your home, save money, and feel good about it.   Old refrigerators are quite inefficient.  Upgrading to a new, energy efficient one can save you an average of 500 lbs of CO2/ year and $60.

10.  Mighty Mowing

-       Instead using a power mower, buy and use a push mower:  80 lbs of CO2 and $35/year.

11.  Weatherize.

-    Caulk and weatherstrip your doors and windows:  1,000 lbs of CO2 and $274/year.

12.  Wrap up.

-       Instead of turning up your thermostat in the winter, turn it down 2 degrees from your normal setting and put on a sweater if you get cold.  1,000 lbs of CO2 and $250/year.

13.  Power Down.

-       Electronic devices use heaps of energy.  When you are not using them turn them completely off.  Devices still use lots of energy when they are on standby or even when they are plugged in!  So be sure to turn them off AND unplug them:  1,000 lbs of CO2 and $256 per year.

14.  Get Car Savvy

-    Keep your car’s tires adequately full and check your air filter monthly.  Replace as needed!  250 lbs CO2 and $840/year.

15.  Choose Organic

-       Only buy organic foods when the option is available:  4,000 lbs of CO2.

16.  Double Side It

-       Always print on both sides of the paper at home and at work:  18 lbs of CO2 and $2.50/year.

17.  Get Green

-       Grow plants in your yard, garden and home instead of buying fake ones:  250 lbs of CO2/year

18.  Shower Power!

-       Take a short shower (5 – 10 minutes) instead of a bath or a long shower:  100 lbs of CO2 and $5.00/year.

19.  Good Cotton.

-       Buy clothes made from organic cotton:  100 lbs of CO2/year.

20.  Reconsider Take Out

-       Rarely buy take out food (it is often packaged in plastic bags, boxes, and non-renewable materials).  24 lbs of CO2 and $250/year.

21.  Word Power.

-       Instead of buying new books, choose library books and share the books in your collection with your friends:  30 lbs of CO2 and  $100/year.

22.  Fantastic Fans

-    Use a ceiling fan instead of your air conditioning in the summer.  400 lbs CO2 and $22/year.

23.  Filter Fix-up

 -   If you do use your air conditioning, replace your dirty filter as recommended: 175 lbs of CO2 and $150/year. 

24.  Do The Dishes Right.

-       Only run the dishwashing machine when it is completely full OR stop using the dishwashing machine altogether and hand wash only:  200 lbs CO2 and $40/year.  More than double this if you are hand washing only!

25.  Air Dry.

-       Instead of using a tumble drier, air-dry your clothes 6 months out of the year (spring and summer):  750 lbs CO2 and $40/year.

26.  Cloths and Sponges

-       Choose reusable cleaning products like cloths and sponges instead of paper towels:  12 lbs of CO2 and $25/year.

27.  Cook Smart

-       Check your oven timer and keep the lids on your pots when cooking instead of opening the oven door and taking the lid off of the pot:  85 lbs CO2 and $15/year.

28.  Miss the Meat

-    Go meat free 3 days a week:  2,200 lbs CO2 and $200/year.

29.  Go Local

-     Eat meals with only local ingredients 2 days each week:  8,000 lbs of CO2/year.

30.  Stretch Your Legs

-     Instead of driving, walk or cycle all journeys under 2 miles:  2,000 lbs of CO2 and $400/year.   

data source:  www.stopglobalwarming.org,  www.actonco2.gov.uk,