How to offset home energy
A typical home emits 2–6 tonnes of CO₂e per year from heating and electricity.
What drives the footprint
Home energy — heating and electricity — is one of the steadiest parts of a household footprint, typically 2–6 tonnes of CO₂e a year. The mix depends heavily on how you heat your home and how clean your local grid is.
A green electricity tariff changes where your power comes from; offsetting addresses the residual emissions, especially from gas or oil heating, while you electrify.
Three steps, start to certificate.
Average home, mixed heating: about 3.5 tCO₂e. Use our calculator for your exact number.
We recommend Renewable energy at $12/tonne for this use case — Gold Standard.
We buy the credits at wholesale, retire them on the public registry on your behalf, and email you a verifiable certificate.
Cut what you can before you offset.
Offsetting is for the emissions you can’t yet eliminate. A few practical ways to lower this footprint at source:
- →Improve insulation and draught-proofing first — it cuts bills and carbon.
- →Switch to a heat pump and a genuine green tariff where possible.
- →Lower the thermostat a degree and use efficient appliances and LEDs.
Is a green tariff the same as offsetting?
Not quite — a green tariff changes your supply; offsetting addresses the residual emissions.
How do I find my home’s emissions?
Check annual kWh on your bills and multiply by the factor for each fuel (about 0.21 kg/kWh electricity, 0.18 gas, 0.25 oil), or use our calculator.
Should I offset the whole household?
Offset total home energy once for the household; a subscription keeps you covered year-round as usage changes.