If Climate Change Worries You, Start Small and Make These Changes

If Climate Change Worries You, Start Small and Make These Changes

You, like many Pasadena residents, might be worried about the effects of climate change. While this is a national issue that needs major policy changes, climate change occurs in all of our backyards and individual acts can make a difference. Wondering how you can help? Consider the following small but meaningful steps:

1. Plug your air leaks. Take a few hours in your week to plug leaks around your doors, windows, and electrical outlets with the appropriate type of weather stripping, caulk and expandable foam sealant. Properly sealing ductwork in your forced air cooling and heating system can significantly reduce your home energy usage. Additionally, ensure that your attics and other spaces are well insulated to prevent conditioned air from escaping into the outdoors.
2. Don’t waste hot water.  The average home utilizes 15 percent of its monthly energy usage to heat water. Multiply this by the 130 million-plus households in the nation, and you’re talking about massive consumption. Stop rinsing dishes in hot water before loading them into the dishwater and put five-minute limits on showers. If you’re thinking about upgrading your water heater, select a new hybrid and energy-efficient unit.
3. Lose the incandescent lights. Even though incandescent lights are being nationally phased out, they still appear on store shelves. Switching these lights out with more efficient CFL and LED options will reduce your energy bills and environmental impact.
4. Take ownership of the thermostat. If you haven’t already, consider installing a programmable thermostat in your household. These handy devices automatically adjust your home temperatures according to your scheduling. Every degree that’s efficiently adjusted translates into 2 percent energy savings.
5. Stop the race car driving. Reducing your average driving speed from 65 to 55 can improve your vehicle’s fuel economy by 5 mpg. This reduces overall fuel consumption and can save you big money at the fuel pump.

To learn more about the small changes you can do to help mitigate climate change, and for other energy-saving tips, products and solutions, contact your local experts at Air-Tro, Inc Heating & Cooling today, serving the Pasadena and the Greater Southern California area since 1969.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Monrovia, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Joel Vieira/Shutterstock”