What you do at home can have a larger impact on air quality than you think. The choices we make for heating our homes, cooling the air, cooking our food, cleaning our clothes, and which products we buy, to mention a few, require the use of considerable amounts of energy. The generation and use of this energy creates air pollution, which also contributes to climate change.

It is important to remember that air quality is not only an outdoor issue. There are many pollution sources and things we can do to also address indoor air pollution.

In Canada, around 50-60 percent of all annual household energy consumed is associated with home heating (see Figure). About a quarter of measured particulate matter (PM) concentrations comes from using wood stoves.

There are many actions that you can take at home to use energy more efficiently, and as a result reduce air pollution and save money. These actions relate to electric, gas and wood heating; water heating; appliances; electronic/home office equipment; air conditioning; lighting; yard equipment; and your use of products that release harmful chemicals (e.g., paints, solvents).

The Government of Canada offers a number of initiatives, including ENERGY STAR, R-2000 Homes, and the Environmental Choice Program, which you can take advantage of to reduce air pollution associated with your activities at home.