Sustainable Detox: Housing

Aug 14

Detox Introduction

Hi! I’m Molly, a businesswoman and new mom that wanted to feel less helpless about climate change. I created this detox to help define what individuals have the power to do and explain why it's important to do so. If you’re new to the detox, you can view the full intro post here. This post specifically focuses on housing!

Your actions and abilities may seem small, but they're mighty and can create beautiful change for ourselves and our posterity!

The Impact of Our Homes on the Environment.

I know what you’re thinking… “I am even emitting greenhouse gases while I am SLEEPING?!” Most likely… yes. There are two main aspects of our homes that cause greenhouse gas emissions.

#1 - Our Energy Sources

#2 - The Energy We Waste

Source: EPA

Our Energy Sources

Do you know how your energy is sourced? Or even what you use energy for? To be honest, I did not know the mechanics behind it all until recently. I just paid my monthly utility bills and went on my way. As I started to research, I found out that energy does so much for us. It is how we heat and cool homes, get electricity and warm our water. I used to take these activities for granted, but I’ve now started paying attention because many of our energy sources hurt the planet by creating greenhouse gasses. We already have the solutions, we just need to implement them! But first, the why…

Residential energy use in the United States makes up about 20% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the US (UC Davis). In fact, if U.S. residential energy greenhouse gas emissions represented a country, it would be the world’s sixth largest GHG emitter - comparable to all of the emissions of Brazil and larger than those of Germany (Goldstein, Gounaridis, & Newell, 2020)! Needless to say, there is lots of room for improvement in how we source our energy…

Right now, the most common energy sources are:

Nonrenewable sources - like natural gas and petroleum (which produce greenhouse gases)
Renewable sources - like solar and wind (which do not produce greenhouse gases)
Electricity - which is technically a secondary energy source that’s produced from either renewable or nonrenewable sources. (EIA).

As of 2021, the majority of homes in the U.S. use two or more energy sources, with the top two sources being natural gas and electricity (EIA). If you’re curious about how your energy is sourced, you can learn more about your area through EPAs Power Grid Tool.

The Energy We Waste

Energy waste not only causes us to produce more greenhouse gases (since much of our energy is sourced from nonrenewable energy), but it also puts excess stress on the U.S. power grid. What is the power grid? It is a system that transmits power from facilities to end users at homes, schools, and other buildings. The prime example of too much stress on a power grid was when 4.5 million Texas citizens lost power during the 2021 winter storm (University of Texas).

We will also put more pressure on the power grid as we continue to electrify our homes and cars, so we need to make sure we are not wasting energy in other areas! The main energy wasters in our homes are…

Old or Inefficient Building Construction
Poor insulation or cracks around doors, windows, and ceilings can cause our homes to lose heat in the winter and gain heat from outside in the summer. If we’re losing heat or cold air, we need to produce more, causing us to use more energy. Leaks can also occur in ducts, which are steel tube-like passages that heat, ventilate, and air condition our homes.
Old Appliances & Systems
We have gotten better and better at making systems, appliances, and lighting more efficient throughout the years, but many of us still have old appliances in our homes!
Temperature Management
Using excess heat in the winter or excess air conditioning in the summer requires more energy, which requires more energy sources. There is tons of room for improvement in this category by just changing our temperature when we’re out of the house or sleeping!

Actions for Improvement

The ultimate goal is to completely electrify your home and source it with renewable, green energy. This is a BIG commitment and cannot be done overnight, but it is helpful to know where we should be headed, so we know where to start.

I’ve included a general outline of solutions above with the infographic and more detailed descriptions below with the bullets. If you are a renter (like me!) then you can do some of the things on your own and politely nudge your landlord about the rest!

#1 - Source Your Energy from Green, Renewable Sources

There are several ways to source your electricity with green energy below starting with the easiest to the most complicated!

Call Your Utility Provider and Ask If They Have Renewable Energy Options - If they have them, the pricing might vary from your current pricing, but ask to find out.

Find a New Renewable Energy Provider on Your Own - This can only be done if your state has deregulated energy. If so, you can use Green-E Search Tool to begin your search
Find a Community Solar Program - What’s Community Solar? Community solar is a solar project or purchasing program that allows multiple households to use energy generated by solar panels at an off-site location (Energy.gov) How does it work? It depends on the project and where you live. There could be specific rules and regulations for starting and applying to these programs in your state or they could be managed by your local utility. Google your community solar programs in your state to find out if there are any options available to you!
Build a Home Renewable Energy System - Planning for a home renewable energy system is a process that includes analyzing your existing electricity use, looking at local codes and requirements, deciding if you want to operate your system on or off of the electric grid, and understanding technology options you have for your site (Energy.gov). It can be lengthy and expensive up front, but great in the long term! US Citizens can receive a tax credit to cover 30% of the costs of installing rooftop solar on their home and homes with solar panels typically increase in their value. Learn more about the tax credit on Whitehouse.gov. Plus, you can reduce your yearly energy costs and increase your home value by $20 for every $1 saved on your utility bills (National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

#2 - Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Electrify Your Home.
The majority of homes in the U.S. use natural gas in some way. It can be used to heat your home with a furnace, warm your water with a gas water heater, cook your food with a gas stove, dry your clothes with a gas dryer, heat your pool, or cook your food on a BBQ grill. You should aim to replace these with electric, energy-star appliances. Even if your appliances are already electric, you should think about replacing them if they’re more than 10 years old because the current models are more energy efficient. The appliances listed below are the biggest ones to look out for, listed as most energy-intensive to least.

Heat Pump (to heat and cool your home) - Heating and cooling your home uses more energy than any other system in your house, so upgrading your gas furnace to an electric heat pump would be a huge game changer for lowering your environmental footprint. With this and proper insulation, you can cut your energy use from 20% to 50% (Energy.gov). It also qualifies for a tax credit of up to $2,000!
Water Heater - Heating water is typically the second largest energy-intensive process in our home (Energy.gov). I love warm showers probably more than anyone on this earth, but we can make our showers a bit more environmentally friendly by switching to an energy star-certified high-efficiency water heater with heat pump technology. Doing so could save you over $300 each year (Energy Star).
Lighting - Phase out your incandescent light bulbs and replace them with LED lights. because LEDs use up to 90% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs (Energy.gov).
Refrigerator - You can save more than $260 over the lifetime of the product by switching to an energy star fridge (ENERGY STAR). Also, as you get rid of your old fridge, it’s very important that you dispose of it properly because most refrigerators contain refrigerants that cause greenhouse gases (EPA). Because of this, it is extremely important that refrigerators are handled with care at the end of their life (Project Drawdown). To dispose of your fridge properly…

Look for retailers that partner with EPA’s Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Program
Check with Your State Energy Office or Local Electric Utility.
Ask about Municipal Pick-Up of Appliances.
Source: ENERGY STAR

Washers & Dryers - All of our appliances combined make up about 15% of the energy use in our house, with our washers and dryers at the top of that list. I’m sure you have noticed a recommendation trend by now, but I’ll say it again for those in the back . As you are able, ditch your old, energy-sucking washers and dryers for more energy-efficient versions that are energy star certified. Or, if you’re feeling extra inspired, you can ditch your dryer altogether and hang dry your clothing, which makes your clothing last longer too!
Gas Stove & Oven - Gas stoves can be difficult to part with because it is very different to cook on gas vs electric. As you now know, it is more environmentally friendly (and better for air quality) to update to electric, but if you love your gas stove and you’re deciding between this and the heat pump, then choose the heat pump. The heat pump has a bigger impact on your climate footprint (NY Times).
Other Sources: Dept. of Energy, Perch Energy

Fix Old or Inefficient Building Construction
Find and fix air leaks, duct leaks, poor insulation, or inefficient windows, so that you’re not wasting energy while heating or cooling your home!

Conduct an Audit
I wish I could write succinct, specific solutions for everyone on what to fix in their home, but energy housing inefficiencies can vary based on the size of your home, when it was built, how it is insulated, the appliances, and more. To start, you should hire a professional to conduct an audit (or have your landlord do so). These audits are covered by the inflation reduction act up to $150 (Whitehouse.gov). Also, many utility companies pay for audits and have lists of approved contractors (NY Times). This audit will inform you if you have air leaks, duct leaks, poor insulation, or inefficient windows, and then you can move forward with improvements from there (which is also the next recommendation bullet)! By fixing waste from drafts, air leaks around openings, and outdated heating and cooling systems, average Americans could save $200 to $400 on their energy bill (Department of Energy).

Improve Your Temperature Management -
The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall energy usage and therefore bill will be. (The only exception here is if you have a heat pump. If so, check your model for the most efficient temperature management). By efficiently managing your home thermostat you can save as much as 10% on your utility bill a year! (Energy.gov) For general rules, set your thermostat to these temperatures...

Winter: 68°F while you're awake and lower up to 10 degrees while you're asleep or away from home
Summer: try for 78°F as high as is comfortable for you when you are at home and warmer than normal when you are away, up to 85°F
You could also install a smart thermostat to do it for you!
Sources: Dept of Energy, EIA, Project Drawdown

If You Are Building a New Home or Renovating…

Consider The Size of Your Home - the bigger your home, the more energy you need to heat and cool it.
Create a Renewable Energy System - Work with your builder and contractor to incorporate your small renewable system into your home design (Energy.gov)
Choose Energy Star Appliances

Additional Sources: Department of Energy, Goldstein, Gounaridis, & Newell, 2020, Project Drawdown

Money You Can Save

I mentioned most of the cost savings with each category above, so I won’t be a broken record and mention them again, but it’s exciting to see how much money you can save with these initiatives! And it makes sense! If you are more efficient with your energy usage, you need less energy and therefore spend less more on energy!

Though some of these actions require money upfront, almost all of them save costs in the long term and many of the current tax incentives offset the high initial price tags for these efficient systems and appliances. Learn more about those credits and rebates on Whitehouse.gov or The Department of Energy Website. And if you want to get deep into the details, you can check out this Whitehouse PDF.

What I’ve Done & Saved

I rent a small apartment in New York City, so I haven’t been able to do many of these big energy improvement initiatives, but we change out lightbulbs to LEDs when they go out and nudge our landlord about the rest. I also called my energy company to source our energy from green sources.

How to Start

You’ve got this! You don’t need to conquer all these at once! Start with one task a week or even a month and then go from there. Whatever you need to do to be sustainably sustainable. Any little bit counts!

Molly Bombonato