Most people don’t give much thought to the electricity that flows from their home outlets unless it’s time to pay the bill; however, home energy reduction has a multitude of benefits. These global advantages range from supporting sustainable living to helping out the economy.
What Are the Main Sources of Global Energy Usage?
Fossil fuel combustion, i.e., burning oil, coal, and gas, remains the primary global source of energy generation today. Despite efforts to diversify energy sources, these fuels still make up a whopping 84% of annual energy consumption worldwide.
Given the large percentage of energy generated from fossil fuels, excessive amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses can disrupt Earth’s natural carbon cycle. In fact, oil, coal, and gas alone accounted for approximately 93% of carbon emissions in 2020, resulting from energy production and industrial activity.
The Global Impact Of Energy Reduction
Why cut back on your home energy usage?
- Reduce Effects of Global Warming
As the world’s energy needs continue to grow, relying on fossil fuels could have dire consequences for our planet’s climate. Unfortunately, most of the energy we currently produce emits carbon dioxide and other harmful greenhouse gasses, contributing to global warming. If we don’t break this pattern, increased greenhouse gasses could devastate ecosystems, wildlife, and humanity.
Home energy reduction is crucial to combat climate change. The reason is that conventional power plants burn fossil fuels, which release greenhouse gasses responsible for air pollution. By lowering our carbon footprint, we can play our part in protecting the environment. Homes and buildings designed to be energy-efficient are also more easily adaptable to sustainable energy sources, with the added benefit of producing no harmful emissions.
- Economic Cost Savings
Reducing energy consumption can have positive economic impacts. Increasing energy efficiency can decrease the amount of energy required to provide services like lighting, heating, cooling, and mobility. This, in turn, can lower the cost of energy services, freeing up resources for households, businesses, and governments alike. As a result, energy efficiency can significantly impact the economy while reducing the amount of energy we consume.
- Increased Employment
The energy services market is a thriving sector that generates ample employment opportunities. The two primary players in this sector are energy service companies and energy utilities. Energy service companies provide customers with ongoing energy efficiency benefits. Meanwhile, energy utilities are required to deliver energy efficiency as mandated by policymakers. Together, these two entities employ over 1 million people worldwide.
- Worldwide Energy Independence
For much of recent history, America has relied on overseas energy producers to keep our lights on. Unfortunately, this has resulted in unpredictable prices and other sometimes unpleasant effects for the everyday power customer. By reducing our total power usage, we can make the most of our ample energy resources domestically, creating a more stable and reliable supply for everyone.
Meanwhile, cutting back on your home usage also brings personal energy independence. When more efficient devices and systems are combined with improved habits, you can lower your energy usage enough to generate a significant portion of your backup power using generators or alternative energy solutions if there’s a power outage or other interruption to the normal grid.
The Social Benefits of Lowering Home Energy Consumption
As we strive to reduce emissions and decrease the use of polluting fossil fuels, it’s important to recognize that the impact of these changes goes beyond just the environment. Not only does reducing emissions improve public health, but it also mitigates the need for further extraction of fossil fuels, which can lead to environmental destruction and social hardships for communities in and around these areas. By embracing clean energy options, we can create a skilled and well-paying workforce while taking a significant step towards a brighter, more sustainable future.
The Global Benefits of Adopting Alternative Energy
While cutting back our usage and practicing more sustainable living are critical, one of the easiest and most impactful ways to achieve a lower carbon footprint is by encouraging the transition to renewable energy options, both at home and from your power company.
Indra Energy offers a variety of plans for residential customers, including ones supplied by 100% renewable energy for electric and carbon offset natural gas. You can also rely on the same transmission lines and reliability from your current utility company.
Ready to shop alternative energy? Contact Indra today to see what rates and plans are available in your area!
