Get a Free Carbon Footprint Assessment

To reduce your climate impact start calculating your carbon emissions and taking action. Next monitor your progress and stay on track.

TAKE THE QUIZ & REDUCE YOUR CLIMATE IMPACT

Mujeres jóvenes calculando su huella de carbon, EnerWisely smart app to save energy and money

Measure Your Environmental Impact, Maximize Your Savings

Why do you need a carbon footprint assessment?

Energy powers much of what we do in our lives, and a large percentage of our energy comes from fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal. The use of these fuels results in carbon emissions that create air pollution and contribute to climate change.

Unfortunately, Texas is the state with the largest carbon emissions per capita. To reduce pollution and the climate impact, we need to reduce our overall and individual carbon footprints.

By understanding your household’s carbon footprint, you’ll be able to minimize your carbon emissions and your climate impact. EnerWisely provides free carbon footprint assessments and ways to help the planet while maximizing their energy savings.

What is a Carbon Footprint and Why is It Important?

According to Merriam-Webster, a carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) either emitted or used by a given person or entity. The larger your carbon footprint, the bigger the environmental impact you have.
It’s a simple fact that your energy usage can generate carbon emissions, depending on the type of fuel used to generate that energy. Driving your car, heating your house, and even watching TV use energy that comes from fossil fuels and generate CO2. The less energy efficient you are, the larger your carbon footprint.

Picture contrast desert, climate change and a green sustainable future, EnerWisely smart app to save energy and money while helping the planet

In the U.S., carbon emissions per household range from 19 to 98 tons per year.

To visualize your carbon footprint, imagine what that many tons of carbon would look like and what the impact would be on your health and the health of the planet.

Carbon emissions have an impact on the earth’s climate, in the form of global warming. The more CO2 emissions in the atmosphere, the faster the climate changes. The entire world needs to learn how to use energy to create more equitable global prosperity, while at the same time reducing the carbon emissions that we emit while using it. Start now by signing up to EnerWisely and getting your free carbon footprint assessment.

How Can You Reduce Your Household’s Carbon Footprint?

There are many things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint and environmental impact. The number of miles your drive or fly has an impact, as does the type of food you put on your table.

Many of the few simple things you can change that really move the needle are in your home. You can gain more insight into your home’s energy usage patterns by using EnerWisely’s carbon footprint calculator and getting your free carbon footprint assessment. The results will tell you which appliance uses the most electricity in your house, then suggests solutions on how you can lower your energy consumption and carbon footprint.

You can start with the following tips to get the most savings in the shortest amount of time.

Heating and Cooling

Heating and cooling have the biggest impact on energy usage in the home. A quarter of the energy used in a typical American home goes to heating the space, while another 11 percent goes to cooling. In addition, heating water uses 13 percent of the home’s energy. That’s almost half of the home’s energy use. To reduce your home’s carbon footprint, you can turn down the thermostat in winter and turn it up in the summer. You can also turn down your water heater to no more than 120 degrees. It’s also possible to reduce your home’s environmental impact by using more and better insulation, and by identifying spots where heat and cool air often escape, such as in the attic and around windows and doors. You may even want to consider replacing older doors and windows with more energy-efficient ones.

Lights

Your home’s lighting also contributes to your carbon footprint. You should turn off lights when you’re not using them and replace any older incandescent lights you might have with newer, more energy-efficient LED models. LED bulbs might cost a bit more initially than older bulbs, but they use up to 85 percent less energy – and last 25 times longer.

Appliances and Electronics

Appliances and electronics also use a fair amount of energy. If you have an older refrigerator or freezer, consider replacing it with a newer, more energy-efficient model. A newer refrigerator can save up to $100 a year in energy costs over an older model. When you’re shopping for any new appliance, look for the Energy Star label that signifies the product has met the energy efficiency standards set by the EPA.

Calculate your green house gas emissions based on your real data with EnerWisely

How do you determine your carbon footprint – and how do you know where you can save energy? The best approach is to get a Carbon Footprint Assessment from EnerWisely, which is part of our free online Energy Efficiency Audit.
There is no cost to receive EnerWisely’s complimentary Energy Efficiency Audit, which is based on your home’s features, your historical energy consumption data, and your individual behavior. It’s all done online, and in return, you receive a personalized online dashboard with your Carbon Footprint Assessment.
More importantly, the dashboard identifies energy inefficient activities and areas in your home and recommends ways you can become more energy efficient. Follow our personalized advice to reduce your carbon footprint and save more.

Texas bluebonets, Compare light plans, switch and save up to thousands, Power to Choose Texas

Rely on EnerWisely to Help You Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

When it comes to reducing our collective carbon footprint, every person can help. A free Carbon Footprint Assessment from EnerWisely can help you start saving energy. Encourage your friends and family to take advantage of it, too.

EnerWisely, a Houston-based company, is a one-stop energy savings platform for residents of Texas. As an Energy Star Partner, EnerWisely provides 100% online, entirely free energy efficiency assessments to consumers in our community.

EnerWisely also complies with DataGuard, the U.S. Department of Energy’s data privacy standard, so the data collected is safe and never sold or shared.