Green Heating

Does my furnace contribute to 'carbon emissions'?

Unless your furnace is powered by geothermal energy, or it's an electric furnace that's powered by green energy, your furnace will definitely produce greenhouse gases and have carbon emissions.

What can I do to make my furnace more efficient?

The first thing to do is to replace your filter and make sure that it's not using more effort to push the air through the system. In addition, you can turn the thermostat slightly down so that it's not working as hard to keep your house at a higher temperature than it needs to.

What is 'weatherstripping' and how does it work?

Weatherstripping is a collapsible material that goes in-between openings in your home. For instance, on your door there should be weatherstripping all around the door that seals it from the outside. What that does is keeps the hot air out and the cool air in, or the other way around in the winter. It keeps the hot air inside the house and prevents drafts.

How does poor insulation contribute to carbon emissions?

Poor insulation allows the heat to escape from inside your house, or cool air to escape from inside your house. By adding effective insulation you reduce the amount of energy required to heat or cool your home and that reduces the amount of emissions.

Does air pollution only exist outside?

Air pollution does not only exist outside the home. In fact, it can be 25-60% worse inside which is especially bad considering that a lot of our time is spent indoors. Some ways to reduce indoor air pollution is to install an air filter that will take out a lot of the particulate matter. In addition, opening your home and allowing it to ventilate to the outdoors is a good way. Another thing you can do is reduce the use of chemicals, and especially things that have volatile organic compounds in them.