Mini Energy Calculators -- National Geographic

Vampire Voltage: Don’t Let Electronics Suck You Dry

Electricity drained from plugged-in appliances that are left in stand-by mode can account for up to 8 percent of our home energy consumption. To find out how much carbon dioxide (CO₂) this phantom energy is responsible for emitting, use our calculator below.

How many do you have of the following items?

DVR or TiVO:0

{step:1,min:0,max:4,value:0,appendsymbol:''}
- None
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Digital Cable Box:0

{step:1,min:0,max:4,value:0,appendsymbol:''}
- None
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Satellite Receiver:0

{step:1,min:0,max:4,value:0,appendsymbol:''}
- None
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
VCR:0

{step:1,min:0,max:4,value:0,appendsymbol:''}
- None
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
DVD Player:0

{step:1,min:0,max:4,value:0,appendsymbol:''}
- None
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4

LCD TV:0

{step:1,min:0,max:4,value:0,appendsymbol:''}
- None
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Plasma TV:0

{step:1,min:0,max:4,value:0,appendsymbol:''}
- None
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
CRT TV:0

{step:1,min:0,max:4,value:0,appendsymbol:''}
- None
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Audio ReceiverStereo:0

{step:1,min:0,max:4,value:0,appendsymbol:''}
- None
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Desktop Computer:0

{step:1,min:0,max:4,value:0,appendsymbol:''}
- None
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4

Laptop Computer:0

{step:1,min:0,max:4,value:0,appendsymbol:''}
- None
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Inkjet Printer:0

{step:1,min:0,max:4,value:0,appendsymbol:''}
- None
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Laser Printer:0

{step:1,min:0,max:4,value:0,appendsymbol:''}
- None
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
CRT Monitor:0

{step:1,min:0,max:4,value:0,appendsymbol:''}
- None
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
LCED Monitor:0

{step:1,min:0,max:4,value:0,appendsymbol:''}
- None
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4

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Tips

When you replace your home electronics, choose Energy Star certified products, which can cut both active mode and standby energy losses by 30 percent.

Car Washing: Save Water

A clean car doesn't have to come at the cost of gallons of water washing down storm drains and taking oil and other contaminants with it. To find out how much water you can save, use our calculator below.

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Tips

Waterless car washes are hitting the market, but to get rid of caked-on mud, go to a commercial wash, which uses no more than 40 gallons at a time and treats waste water for contaminants.

Links

Learn more about how we use freshwater at National Geographic’s Freshwater website.

Lawn and Garden: Composting

Food that's thrown away winds up producing methane, a potent greenhouse gas, in landfills. To find out how big an impact this can make, use our calculator below.

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Tips

Get a kitchen composter, which can hold scraps without raising an odor. Check Earth911.org to see if your city has a municipal composting program for food and/or yard scraps.

Links

Get more tips on composting with Green Guide's compost video.

Air Conditioners: Just Cool It

Many Americans rely on room air conditioners in the summer to keep comfortable, but the carbon dioxide (CO₂) put out to power them may wind up making our hot days all that much hotter. To see just how much CO₂ is released if you use window-mounted units, please answer the questions below.

Do you cool your room with an Energy Star-certified room air conditioner?

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Tips

Install a ceiling fan to circulate the air and keep you cool.
If you live in a dry climate, consider an evaporative cooler.

Links

Read more shopping and usage tips in the Green Guide’s Air Conditioner Buying Guide.

Cars: Saving Gas

For every gallon of gas your car consumes, about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere. See how quickly that adds up with our calculator below.

How many days per week do you commute to work by car?5 days

{step:1,min:0,max:7,value:5,appendsymbol:' days'}
- None
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7 days
How long (in miles) is your commute (total for both directions)?
What is the fuel economy of your car?30 mpg

{step:1,min:10,value:30,max:80,appendsymbol:' mpg'}
- 10 or less
- 30
- 40
- 50
- 60
- 70
- 80 or more

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Tips

Keep tires properly inflated.

Links

Read more shopping and usage tips in the Green Guide’s Car Buying Guide.

Diet: The Meat Matter

The average American diet adds over 3,000 pounds of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere every year, but adding a few greens and leaner meat can make a big difference. To find out how much greenhouse gas your diet is responsible for, use our calculator below.

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Tips

Reduce the amount of red meat in one or two meals a week, and experiment with recipes that use meat for flavoring rather than as the main attraction.

Links

Learn more about sustainable eating with the Green Guide.

Dishwashers: Don’t Scrape It Clean

Dishwashers are getting much more efficient, but that won’t make much of a difference if you don’t use yours properly. To find out how much carbon dioxide (CO₂) your dishwasher is responsible for emitting and how much water it consumes, use our calculator below.

Percentage of dishwasher usually filled when run:100%

{step:1,min:0,max:100,value:100,appendsymbol:'%'}

0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100%

Number of times run per week:7 times a week

{step:1,min:0,max:30,value:7,appendsymbol:' times a week'}

0
3
6
9
12
15
18
21
24
27
30

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Tips

Don't rinse dishes before washing. Scrape off food (preferably into a compost bin) instead.

Links

For more dishwasher shopping and usage tips, read the Green Guide’s Dishwasher Buying Guide.

Lawn Care: Watering

Half of the water we spray on our gardens typically goes to waste due to evaporation and overwatering. Find out how much you can save with our calculator below.

Number of days per week garden watered:3 days

{step:1,min:0,max:7,value:3,appendsymbol:' days'}

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7 days

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Tips

Plant drought-resistant native plants, which require less frequent watering.

Links

Get more tips on drought-resistant plants by reading "Plants That Will Suck Your Yard Dry" in the Green Guide.

Home Heating: Fiddling With Your Furnace

Keeping your home comfortable while you're in it makes sense, but when you're away it's a waste of energy. To find out how much carbon dioxide (CO₂) your furnace is responsible for emitting, use our calculator below.

What type of heating fuel do you use at home?

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Tips

Add programmable thermostats so the furnace doesn’t work as hard while you’re away but kicks back in before you get home. In most homes, you can reduce your heating bill about two percent for each degree that you lower the thermostat for at least eight hours each day.

Links

Read more shopping and usage tips in the Green Guide’s Furnace Buying Guide.

Whole House: Insulation and Weatherstripping

Don't let heat fly out the window or through the roof—insulating, weatherstripping, and sealing the home are a low-cost means to lower your heating fuel bills and reduce CO₂ emissions. To find out how much CO₂ your home heating is responsible for emitting, use our calculator below.

What type of heating fuel do you use at home?

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Tips

Have a certified home energy rater conduct an audit of your house to determine your insulation needs. Your utility may offer free or discounted audits, but if not you can find local certified energy raters at Residential Energy Services Network.

Links

Take the Green Guide Whole House quiz to learn more about weatherproofing your home.

Laundry: Line Dry

Dryers typically use up to 1,586 of carbon dioxide CO₂ annually, making it one of the most energy-hogging household appliances. To find out how much CO₂ your dryer is responsible for emitting, use our calculator below.

How frequently do you run your dryer?3 times a week

{step:1,min:0,max:20,value:3,appendsymbol:' times a week'}

0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20 times a week

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Tips

Purchase a drying rack, or a clothesline.
If your dryer has a temperature sensing control it can reduce CO₂ output by 10 percent; if it has a moisture sensor, it can reduce CO₂ output by 15 percent.

Links

Get more washer and dryer shopping and usage tips with the Green Guide’s Washing Machine Buying Guide, Dryer Buying Guide, and Laundry Quiz.

Lighting: Picking a Better Bulb

Lighting up a house is a necessary use of energy, but also an often needlessly wasteful one. Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), which consume only a fifth of the electricity incandescents do, make great substitutes in many rooms.

About how many of your lights are illuminated by compact fluorescent bulbs?

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Tips

Pick warmer color CFLs, avoiding their use in cold spots and where they’ll be frequently turned off and on.

Links

Get more lightbulb shopping and usage tips with the Green Guide’s Lightbulb Buying Guide.

Refrigerators: Energy Hogs

Refrigerators are often the most power hungry appliance in the home and account for on average about 2,000 pounds of CO₂ released annually per household. Check out the greenhouse gas profile of your refrigerator and how you can trim some of those pounds.

What kind of refrigerator do you have?
Was your refrigerator purchased after 2001?
- Yes
- No
- Don't know
Is your refrigerator an Energy Star model?
- Yes
- No
- Don't know

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Tips

Set refrigerator temperature at 40° F (4°C) and freezer temperature at 0° F (-17°C).
Clean the coils.
Keep the top clear and move out of the sunlight.
Refrigerators with the freezer on either the bottom or top are more efficient than side-by-side models.

Links

Refrigerators Buying Guide

Water Heaters: Cool Down

If your hot water runs out of the tap at scalding temperature, you're wasting money overheating your water. To find out how much CO₂ your water heater is responsible for emitting, use our calculator below.

Is water heated with gas or electricity?
- Gas
- Electricity
Temperature water heater currently set at:120 degrees Fahrenheit

{step:1,min:100,max:160,value:120,appendsymbol:' degrees Fahrenheit'}
- 100
- 110
- 120
- 130
- 140
- 150
- 160

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Tips

Insulating your water heater’s tank—as well as the first SIX feet or so of its connecting pipes—can help keep your water warm far longer. That means your heater can fire up less frequently.