A typical house releases 22,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO₂) annually, almost twice as much as a typical car’s annual 11,500 pounds of CO₂ emissions, estimates EPA. This is due to emissions produced by power plants that generate the electricity used to run modern homes—plus home emissions from such things as oil or gas-fired furnaces. About two-thirds of the energy Americans use at home is from electricity. The remainder comes from natural gas and oil.

The United States currently emits 43,000 pounds of CO₂ annually per person. Many prominent scientists believe CO₂ is contributing to global climate change. Households use about one-fifth of the energy consumed in the United States. Unfortunately, we don’t even benefit from a lot of the energy we use. Energy dollars pour out of homes through drafty doors and windows and uninsulated attics, walls, floors and basements. Even some idle (turned off) appliances use energy 24 hours a day!

FACT
The energy use of two families living in two homes that look EXACTLY alike can vary by 100 percent—which means that how you use what’s in your home can double (or halve) your energy bills.