Environmental Tracking

EMISSIONS CALCULATOR

What Individuals Can Do

The EPA has developed tools to help individuals reduce household greenhouse gas emissions. These tools are designed for individuals who want to take action and for businesses and organizations interested in reaching their employees and members about what they can do at home to help protect our climate.

Use this online calculator to obtain an estimate of your household's greenhouse gas emissions. Then move on to the next section of the calculator to explore actions you can take to lower your emissions while reducing your energy and waste disposal costs. For each action you choose to take, the calculator displays the amount of emissions you could avoid and how that amount relates to your total emissions.

When you have completed the form, you can see what your emissions are equivilent to in other energy related factors by clicking on the "What Are My Emissions Equal To ..." button.

After entering data use the TAB key to continue moving through the calculator.

Your Current Emissions
	Enter your data	Pounds of carbon dioxide/year
The Basics
How many people live in your home?
How do you heat your house?	Electric Heat Natural Gas Oil
Transportation
On average, how many miles do you put on your car(s)?	Per Week Per Year 225 miles/week is about average in the United States per vehicle.
What is the average gas mileage for your car (miles per gallon)?	If you're unsure, assume your car gets 22 miles per gallon, which is about average.	13,500 pounds is about average per vehicle.
Home Energy
On average, how much do you pay for electricity each month?	$80 is about average in the United States for a household of two people. Our calculations assume that you pay 8 cents/kWh. We estimate your emissions based on the national average mix of fuels used to generate electricity. Your actual emissions may be higher or lower depending on your electricity provider's power mix.	20,000 pounds is about average for a household of two people.
On average, how much do you spend on natural gas each month?	$50 is about average in the United States for a household of two people. Our calculations assume that you pay $6.51/thousand cubic feet	11,000 pounds is about average for a household of two people.
On average, how much do you spend on fuel oil each month?	$50 is about average in the United States for a household of two people. Our calculations assume that you pay $0.92/gallon	14,500 pounds is about average for a household of two people.
Waste
What proportion of recyclables (paper, glass, metals, plastics) does your household currently recycle?	25% is about average in the United States.	4,800 pounds is about average for a household of two people.
Your Total Emissions
	The calculator provides a rough estimate of your household's total emissions	60,000 pounds is about average in the United States for a household of two people.
What You Can Do to Reduce Emissions
Transportation
		Amount of CO2 you can avoid per year
Buy a vehicle that gets more miles/gallon than your current one.	more miles per gallon	pounds	percent of your total emissions
Reduce the number of miles you drive by this amount. Per Week Per Year	miles Walking, biking, carpooling, telecommuting, and using mass transit are good options.	pounds	percent of your total emissions
Home Energy
		Amount of CO2 you can avoid per year
Replace 60-watt incandescent light bulbs with 13-watt ENERGY STAR lights. (Enter the number of bulbs you will replace.)	You'll get the same amount of light for less energy and lower monthly bills.	pounds	percent of your total emissions
Replace your old refrigerator with an ENERGY STAR model. Will you take this action? Yes No	New refrigerators cost much less to operate than old ones.	pounds	percent of your total emissions
Turn up your air conditioner thermostat by degrees Fahrenheit in summer.	You'll save money as well as reduce your emissions.	pounds	percent of your total emissions
Turn down your heating thermostat by degrees Fahrenheit on winter nights.	Dropping the heat at night can make a difference.	pounds	percent of your total emissions
Replace single-glazed windows with ENERGY STAR windows. Will you take this action? Yes No	This step can save you a bundle in cold or hot climates.	pounds	percent of your total emissions
Replace old gas or oil furnace or boiler with an ENERGY STAR model. Will you take this action? Yes No	New models are much more efficient and cheaper to run.	pounds	percent of your total emissions
Waste
		Amount of CO2 you can avoid per year
Above, you reported a recycling rate of percent. Could you increase the fraction of paper, glass, metals, and plastics that you recycle? If so, by what percentage?	percent more For example, if you think you could increase recycling in your household from 25% to 35%, enter "10" in the cell above.	pounds	percent of your total emissions
Examples of source reduction activities include buying food in bulk and reusing garbage bags, glass bottles, plastic containers, etc. Could you reduce a portion of your household waste? If so, by how much?	percent For example, if you think you could reduce the waste you generate by 20 percent, enter "20" in the cell above.	pounds	percent of your total emissions
Your Totals
If you took all the actions listed above, you would reduce your emissions by	pounds per year	percent of your total emissions
Your new total annual CO2 emissions would be	pounds per year

(SEQL) Sustainable Environment for Quality of Life
Centralina Council of Governments
PO Box 35008
Charlotte, NC 28235
Phone: 704-348-2730 Fax: 704-347-4710

Your Current Emissions

What You Can Do to Reduce Emissions

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