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EPA's Personal Greenhouse Gas Calculator

 
What Individuals Can Do At Home
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.

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 WeekPer 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
 


For a more detailed analysis of fuel costs and emissions from your car, visit the Fuel Economy website. Exit EPA

For more detailed estimates of your home energy use (electricity, gas, and oil) and emissions, visit the Home Energy Saver website. Exit EPA

The Home Energy Saver site also provides ideas on a wide range of energy-saving products. For information on climate change and waste, visit EPA's Climate Change and Waste site.

For an explanation of the assumptions and sources used by this calculator, click here.

A handheld wheel card version of this calculator is also available. Click here for details.

 
Associated Pages
Personal GHG Calculator

 


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Last Modified on Wednesday, August 15th, 2001

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