Leaking windows and doors can account for 30% to 40% of the heating and cooling needs for a house. Additionally, drafts due to leaks will decrease your comfort level.

New weatherstripping is one of the least expensive actions you can take to save money while saving the climate.

https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Weather_stripping

LED lights use at least 75% less energy, and last up to 25 times longer, than incandescent light bulbs. They are also much more efficient than CFL bulbs.

LED lights convert almost all electricity to light, while incandescent lights release 90% of their input energy as heat.

https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/led-lighting

Twenty percent of the electricity consumed in California is used to pump, purify, and heat water. Thirty percent of our natural gas is used to heat water.

New water sources, such as desalination and wastewater recycling, use considerably more energy than traditional water sources.

https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/californias-water-energy-and-water-november-2018.pdf

New energy choices allow many of us to use 100% renewable energy without having to buy solar panels and home battery storage.

Residents of many cities in California can now buy power from a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA). The CCA’s have options to supply 100% renewable power or 50% renewable power.

Other states or utilities may have similar programs.

Heat pump water heaters can be 300% efficient. In addition to the electricity they use, they pump heat from the surrounding air into the water (like a refrigerator in reverse). Natural gas water heaters are typically 50% to 60% efficient while older electric resistance water heaters are close to 100% efficient.

New models that require no changes to your home’s electrical wiring are available.

Rheem® has recently released a new heat pump water heater that can plug into a standard 120 Volt, 15 Amp circuit, making it simple to replace a gas water heater.

https://www.rheem.com/heatpumpwaterheaters/?utm_source=ProTerra

A. O. Smith, General Electric, and Nyle are expected to release comparable 120V heat pump water heaters soon.

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/heat-pumps/finally-a-heat-pump-water-heater-that-plugs-into-a-standard-outlet

For more information on water heaters and other ways to electrify your home, please see our page /building-electrification-in-depth

Heat pump heating/air conditioning systems can be 300% efficient, moving heat from outside air into your home in the winter or moving heat from the inside air out of your home in the summer. This compares with the 95% efficiency of new gas furnaces.

https://www.trane.com/residential/en/resources/blog/heat-pump-vs-furnace-what-heating-system-is-right-for-you/

For more information on heat pump heating and air conditioning and other ways to electrify your home, please see our page /building-electrification-in-depth

According to the Department of Energy, lowering (raising) your thermostat 1 degree in the winter (summer) 8 hours per day will save about 1% of your energy usage. Changing your thermostat 2 degrees from 6 AM to 10 PM and 5 degrees from 10 PM to 6 AM would save 7% of your heating and cooling costs.

https://blog.directenergy.com/how-much-can-you-save-by-adjusting-your-thermostat/

Almost all the energy used to wash clothing is used to heat the water. One estimate says that using hot water requires 4.5 kWh per load, while using cold water only needs 0.3 kWh per load, a 93% savings.

https://www.csmonitor.com/Business/The-Simple-Dollar/2012/0119/Here-s-exactly-how-much-you-ll-save-doing-laundry-in-cold-water

Gas stoves and ovens release nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and other pollutants into the kitchen. Of these, nitrogen dioxide is probably the most dangerous. Studies show that children living in homes with gas stoves have a 20% to 40% increased risk of asthma than children in homes with electric stoves. Nitrogen dioxide can make chronic obstructive pulmonary disease worse in adults.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/gas-stoves-air-pollution-1.6394514

https://www.npr.org/2021/10/07/1015460605/gas-stove-emissions-climate-change-health-effects

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recommends that an above-stove exhaust fan should always run when the stove or oven are on, and that the back burners should be used as more of the pollution will be captured by the exhaust fan.

https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/indoor-air-pollution-cooking

For more information on induction stoves and other ways to electrify your home, please see our page /building-electrification-in-depth

Excess fertilizer can be washed off your lawn or planters and enter streams, rivers, and lakes where it causes algae blooms (excess growth of algae) that can kill other plants, insects, and fish. When rivers dump that fertilizer in the ocean it can cause “dead zones” where the level of oxygen in the water is too low to support fish and other sea life.

https://indiana.clearchoicescleanwater.org/pledges/lawns/fertilizer-impacts/