Can't Afford Solar Panels? Four Cheaper Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

If you can't afford to make big changes, don't worry. There are lots of cheap changes that add up!

So you want to reduce your carbon footprint and you know a really great way to do that is by installing solar panels. But you also know that solar panels cost a big chunk of change that you don't have lying around right now. Don't worry—there are a lot of things you can do to reduce your impact that is cheaper than a mammoth installation. Let's look at the numbers.

As we get started, let's speak in broad terms for the sake of simplicity. The avg US household 11,040 kWh per year. If we go with Energy Star's statement that 1 kWh of electricity generates 1.55 lbs of CO2, then the average US household creates 17,112 lbs of CO2 per year through their electricity use. Note that there are a lot of factors going into electricity use, so these numbers are generalized. Also, remember that electricity use varies significantly by region, and the highest averages come from southern states—so many households use quite a bit more than this.

Instead of powering up with green, you can reduce your footprint by reducing your consumption of electricity. Here are four ways you can significantly cut down your CO2 emissions without spending a ton of money—in fact, you just might save enough to buy that solar array after all!

Numbers via Stop Global Warming; World Offset; Greener Choices; Outdoors.

Sign up for green energy with your utility If you can't DIY it, buy it. More than 8/2 billion kW hours of clean renewable energy is bought up by companies, colleges and other various organizations. You can also get a share of growing resources like wind, geothermal, solar and tidal power. Buy signing up for green power, you can reduce your emissions by as much as 14,000 lbs a year. Check out the US Department of Energy to see if this option is available in your area and contact your utility company to sign up.

Unplug everything to zap vampire power By unplugging all of your electronics when you aren't using them, you can reduce your footprint by as much as 1,000 lbs annually—just by eliminating vampire power! Major culprits of vampire power include your entertainment equipment like televisions and game players, and computer equipment. But even the small things like microwaves and gadget chargers really add up.

Change light bulbs, computer power saver settings, and thermostat settings Switching an incandescent to a CFL saves about 100 lbs per year, so changing all the bulbs in your house adds up! So too does changing your computer's settings. By setting your computer so that the display and hard disk sleep after 5 minutes of inactivity, and turning it off when not in use, you'll reduce your carbon footprint by 750 lbs per year. Changing your thermostat's setting to two degrees cooler in winter and two degrees warmer in summer can save 2,000 lbs of CO2 a year. Keeping you water heater below 120 degrees saves 500 lbs per year. Add up these small household setting changes and we're talking big numbers.

Reduce the impact of your appliances Appliances are big energy suckers and ensuring that they're Energy Star rated and used efficiently can shrink your carbon footprint. Replacing your old water heater with an efficient one can reduce your emissions by 3,300 lbs a year. Washing your clothes in cold water can save as much as 700 lbs a year, and line drying instead of using the dryer can save over 1,000 lbs. Running the dishwasher only when full and using the energy saver settings saves another 200 lbs per year.