Before going too far down the path of simply buying carbon offsets, my wife and I are going to do everything we can to actually reduce our carbon footprint.

We've already begun the process by having Lower Valley Energy perform an Energy Audit of our home. That seemed to be the logical place to start, since our average monthly electrical usage is 1500 kWhs and our average monthly natural gas usage is 29.5 therms (see baseline stats).

The good news: technician Kendell Call could only find a few minor improvements for us to make, thus, there was no charge for the Energy Audit. The bad news: making those minor improvements (lowering our hot water heater setting to 120º, fluffing and spreading insulation in the attic, weatherstripping the attic access lid and caulking doors and window frames) isn't likely to have a significant impact on our energy use.

In fact, the biggest savings will probably come from replacing incandescent lightbulbs with compact fluorescents. And, of course, changing our personal habits.

Nevertheless, having the Energy Audit done was informative and reassuring. If you'd like to have Lower Energy conduct an Energy Audit of your home, contact Wid Ritchie at (307) 733-2446 or 885-6122. The cost of an energy audit is $100 for homes up to 3,000 square feet, and $200 for larger homes, however, the fee will be refunded if you choose to implement any of the recommended changes, OR if the technician finds that no improvements are needed.

Other things we could to reduce our fuel and energy use:

1. drive less, which is tough when you live in a remote mountain town and choose not to fly to visit your aging parents, who live 600 and 1100 miles away
2. consider buying a more fuel efficient vehicle
3. consider buying more efficient appliances (our washer, dryer, hot water heater and dishwasher may all be past their prime)

We'll explore all of the above over the course of 2007.

In the meantime, we'll begin supporting Lower Valley Energy's renewable energy initiative by purchasing 1500 kWhs per month of Green Power, paying a premium of $17.50 per month.

Stay tuned.

Carbon Neutral Journal's thoughts are brought to you by Hawtin Jorgensen Architects.

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