• 0
  • 4,000
  • 8,000
  • 12,000
  • 16,000
  • 20,000
  • 24,000
  • 28,000
  • 32,000
  • 36,000
  • 40,000

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The Basics
Questions
Home Energy

Many factors influence how much energy is needed by your home, but analyzing your actual energy bills provides the best insight into your home's footprint. Please complete the following questions with the best data available to you. If easily accessible, grab your latest electricity and gas bills to help you complete the questions.

Questions
Waste

Consumption, in and of itself, does produce greenhouse gasses as it takes energy to make products and packaging, ship those products to stores and residences, and then truck trash back to a recycling center or landfill. However, if you recycle your trash you offset a portion, but nowhere near all, of the greenhouse gasses originally required to make the product.

Total Waste Emissions Before Recycling
Which of the following products do you currently recycle in your household?
1. Do you recycle newspaper?

2. Do you recycle glass?

3. Do you recycle plastic?

4. Do you recycle aluminum and steel cans?

5. Do you recycle magazines?

6. Do you compost?

Additional Questions

You are almost done. We would like to find out a little bit more about some aspects of your home. Please answer these last few question and then you will have your results.

What home upgrades have you made in the last five years?
Check all that apply
Please answer yes or no the following questions.
1. Do you use energy efficient ligh bulbs like CFLs or LEDs in the majority of your light fixtures?

2. Do you turn off or unplug most appliances when not in use? For instance, do you use "sleep" or "hibernate" when your computer is not in use?

3. Have you installed low-flow faucets, showerheads and toilets throughout your home?

4. Have you installed a programmable thermostat?

Your Impact

Every year, your home releases 0 pounds of carbon. Check out the graph on the right to compare yourself to other demographic groups.

While many factors including how many people live in your home and how big your home is, there are always ways to reduce your carbon impact and help to slow global warming. Based on your answers to the survey, here are some suggestions we have:

Our Suggestions

  1. Changing your light bulbs to compact fluorescents (CFLs) is one of the easiest steps you can take to lower your carbon footprint. CFLS also have the added advantage of saving you $30-40 over their lifespan. Read our lighting article to learn more.
  2. Sealing your home is the first step in reducing your heating and cooling costs. Thankfully, you can usually cause a big reduction in your energy bill with little investment. Read our article on air sealing to get all the tips you need to be successful.
  3. Replacing older windows is a surefire way to lower your energy bills. While it often requires a large initial investment, you'll see immediate reductions in your heating and cooling bills and a future buyer of your home will also value the upgrade. Read our article on windows to learn more.
  4. Read our article on programmable thermostats to learn how you can save $180 per year.

Emissions in Pounds of Carbon Dioxide Per Year

    • 0

    • 19,648

    • 0

    • 41,066

  • 36,000

    32,000

    28,000

    24,000

    20,000

    16,000

    12,000

    8,000

    4,000

  • Your Emissions
  • Average SCGH User
  • Average SCGH User in Your State
  • Average SCGH User With the Same Bedrooms

Now that you've learned about your energy usage, consider taking our home health quiz to learn how to improve indoor air quality in your home.

After you've made some changes in your home and are starting to realize savings in your electrical bills, come back here and take our test again to see how much you've improved!