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How Do I Calculate My Carbon Footprint? (And Why Does It Matter?)

How Do I Calculate My Carbon Footprint? (And Why Does It Matter?)

Calculating your carbon footprint is incredibly interesting, highlighting the areas where your energy usage is wasteful and pointing out areas to save money. Climate change is happening, and we must be more eco-conscious moving forward.

So, how do you calculate your carbon footprint?

This article will cover the main benefits of calculating your carbon footprint and the methods to do this.

Why Should I Calculate My Carbon Footprint?

Calculating your current carbon footprint is the first step towards implementing change in your home to reduce your carbon footprint and live a more eco-conscious lifestyle. 

The calculation looks at the amount of carbon your home produces and the cost of your lighting and heating. A complete analysis of your home’s carbon footprint allows you to evaluate areas where you could save money and also reduce your environmental impact. 

For example, suppose your house has sparse natural light, meaning you use more artificial lighting. In that case, you can consider installing skylights or solar LED skylights to provide more light without a cost to the environment, which will also reduce your monthly energy bills.

Which Factors Affect My Carbon Footprint?

If you want to calculate your carbon footprint, you need to be aware of all the factors that make up your overall carbon footprint. These factors include:

  • Your energy usage – this includes your heating and electricity usage.
  • Emissions from your vehicles
  • Your meat consumption
  • How often do you eat at restaurants?
  • How much food do you waste?
  • How often do you buy locally sourced food?
  • How often do you fly?
  • How often do you make new purchases (clothes, furniture, appliances)?
  • Your home’s recycling plan

How To Calculate Your Carbon Footprint

Many websites offer questionnaires for you to calculate your carbon footprint. The questions are geared towards the factors affecting your carbon footprint and offer a more general or specific calculation based on your energy meter reports.

Try using the WWF carbon footprint calculator for a more general report and a questionnaire that is easy to fill out.

Or, if you want to get specific about your household energy usage and have figures for each category of your carbon footprints like gas, electric, and waste, try using the Carbon Neutral carbon footprint calculator.

How To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

You can make thousands of changes around your home to reduce your carbon footprint. 

If you want to reduce the carbon footprint caused by your energy consumption, consider installing solar panels. Solar panels can offer you free and clean energy, eliminating a huge chunk of your carbon footprint. Or, if you wish to reduce the emissions caused by your hot water consumption, think about switching to a solar water heater

As mentioned earlier, try using solar lighting solutions, like solar LED skylights to light your home more sustainably. For more information on solar solutions for your home, contact SolarPath today.

Some other ways you can reduce your household carbon footprint are:

  • Reducing your household waste – try recycling more (and doing this properly), reducing your consumption of single-use plastic, shopping at plastic-free farmer’s markets, and using a compost bin for your food waste.
  • Reducing your meat consumption – try some vegan or vegetarian recipes! Or, try to consume white meat that has a lower environmental impact than fish or red meat.
  • Using public transport and cycling more often.

Summary

If you’re looking to calculate your household’s carbon footprint, then being aware of your current carbon emissions is a great start. The figures you gain will tell you which areas of your daily life consume the most energy and have the most significant carbon output. 

These figures will point out where you should start when changing towards a more eco-conscious lifestyle. One of the easiest ways to reduce a substantial amount of your household’s carbon output is by switching to solar panels for your heating, lighting, and electricity needs.

The future rests in our hands, and we must all remain accountable and switch to cleaner energy solutions to preserve our planet. Chat to the friendly SolarPath team to learn more.

Read Also:
Are Solar Panels A Good Investment For Your Property?
Make Your Home More Energy Efficient with Skylight Installation

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