The skyrocketing cost (and limited supply) of energy has forced us to re-examine the energy we use in our daily lives. Below is a quick list of 10 facts about our energy usage that may surprise you.
The following has been adapted for the web from Energy: Use Less—Save More by Jon Clift and Amanda Cuthbert.
1. Americans consume 26% of the world’s energy.
2. 18% of total emissions comes from operating our homes.
3. Heating and cooling account for about 56% of the energy use in a typical home.
4. We spend 10% of our electricity bills on lighting.
5. Our demand for energy grows by about 3% per year.
6. At any one time in most households an average of 8 appliances are left on stand-by. (Stand-by is an
appliance’s “off” setting, but the appliance continues to use about 85% of the energy it uses while
on—often so that it can listen for signals from remote controls.)
7. Energy-efficient washing machines use about 1/3 less electricity than older machines.
8. Washing clothes at 140 degrees (F) uses almost twice the energy as a 104 degree (F) wash.
9. 90% of the energy used by traditional bulbs is wasted in producing heat.
10. About 25% of all the energy we use to heat our homes escapes through single-glazed windows.
A few of these facts may seem depressing, but the truth is that each one represents a great opportunity for reducing our energy usage, the greenhouse gases we create, and the cost of our electric bill.
See Energy: Use Less—Save More by Jon Clift and Amanda Cuthbert for great energy saving strategies.