June 6th, 2011 
Tushar Mathur With around 40% of the UK’s total carbon emissions coming from residential and transport sources, it’s important for all of us to consider our energy use if we are to get anywhere near the target of 34% reduction in emissions between 1990 and 2020.
However before you rush out and splash money on solar panels for your home, or the latest ground source heating system, are there any practical, easily actionable steps we could all take that would have a real impact on carbon emissions?
As far as household carbon emissions are concerned, a general rule of thumb is that any electrical appliance that produces heat is likely to use a significant amount of power, and naturally the more an appliance is used, the more energy it uses. So the which are the top offenders?
TV’s – Plasma TV’s are the worst offenders, however LCD TV’s often touted as the more environmentally friendly option, are only marginally more efficient.
An average household will emit 200-300kg of CO2 per year from TV usage, to put things in perspective that equates to probably more than the weight of the average household, 440-660lbs or 31.5-47 stone!
Whilst legislation, most notably lead by the California Energy Commission’s ground breaking mandatory standby requirements legislation, has improved the energy use of TV’s whilst on standby, they do still use energy on standby – so get in the habit of turning it off when it’s not in use.
Fridge Freezers – By their nature Fridge Freezers need to be on 24/7, and they produce heat so they’re a major offender. Even the most efficient modern Fridge Freezers emit up to 200kg of CO2 per year. Unfortunately there’s relatively little we can do about reducing the emissions of our Fridge Freezers, but all the following steps will have some impact;
- Keep your fridge and freezer full, they work most efficiently when full.
- Keep the coils clean.
- Place you fridge freezer away from other heat sources (cookers, radiators, boilers, full sunlight windows etc).
- Use a thermometer inside the fridge to monitor the operating temperature 1.5-3.5 degrees Celsius.
And if/when you’re replacing your fridge freezer then you should;
- Choose the most energy efficient model you can afford.
- Choose a under-over configuration (fridge on top of freezer, or vice versa) rather than side-by-side, comparable side-by-side models are generally 10-20% less efficient.
- Choose the lowest spec model you can – ice makers, external drink dispensers, and other “must have” features all reduce the efficiency of your fridge freezer.
- Get the right size, the smaller the fridge the more efficient it will be, but equally one large fridge (if you will use all the space!) will generally be better than two small fridges.
Electric Tumble Dryers – using a tumble dryer just a couple of times per week is worth upwards of 150kg’s of CO2 per year (330lbs / 23.5 stone!) So if at all possible hang your washing out on the line, its likely that your clothes will last longer that way too!
Electric Hobs – an average household with an electric hob emits 100-200kg’s of CO2 per year, Gas hobs are roughly twice as efficient as electric so if you’re due a change then consider Gas if it’s available, otherwise try and use your hob as efficiently as possibly – for example using a multi tiered steamer pan allows you to cook 3 or 4 types of vegetable separately using one pan of water, not only that but steaming vegetables is healthier too!
Dishwashers and Washing Machines – your average, reasonably efficient dishwasher or washing machine will be responsible for around 50-100kg’s of CO2 per year. There are a few steps we can take to reduce this, use a full load based on the machines specifications, use as low a temperature setting as possible, and avoid lengthy cycles.
Kettles – kettle usage obviously varies quiet a bit, if you’re a real Tea Jenny then you could be emitting up to 100kg’s of CO2 per year from your kettle usage alone. The key to keeping kettle emissions in check is to only fill the kettle with as much water as you need each time you use it.
Electric Showers – according to the Energy Saving Trust around 5% of the UK’s carbon emissions are produced through heating water in homes. In fact, the average UK household spends around 30% of its total energy bills on heating water, and whilst showers are widely regarded as far more efficient than baths, they obviously still pump out the CO2. So don’t leave your shower running before you get in it, and keep your shower time to a reasonable length.
Most people find the volumes of CO2 emitted by the use of everyday household items somewhat shocking, but with a little thought it is possible for anyone to make a significant reduction on their own impact on the environment, and if we all made just the smallest of changes, then the overall impact could be huge.
Hannah Snowden works for Pennigton PV, one of the UK’s leading providers of Energy Performance Certificates and Photovoltaic Solar Panels for homes, residential and social landlords, and businesses. If you would like more information on choosing solar panels for your home, or if you have ever wondered “how do solar panels work?” and would like some answers, then visit the Pennington PV website.
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