Green Mountain Energy high on Earth Day

"As individuals celebrate Earth Day this year, we hope they will consider the impact their decisions can have on the environment," said Chief Environmental Officer Gillan Taddune.

"Going green is easy to implement and can even save you money while helping to protect the environment."

EPA statistics show that the average household is responsible for 20 tons of CO2 emitted annually and Green Mountain offered tips to trim that number.

One tip is to switch to cleaner power, said the firm, noting that by switching to 100% green power a typical residential customer would cut 15,000 pounds of emissions annually.

Green Mountain offers tips on how to trim back energy use and thus emissions. What can't be cut out can be offset through the firm's BeGreen Carbon Offsets.

Buying EPA-certified Energy Star products helps. More efficient appliances offset the greenhouse gases equivalent to 23 million cars in 2005, said the firm.

Switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs helps since they last 10 times longer and use 72% less power, turning off electronic devices when not in use adds up and weatherizing homes can significantly cut emissions, said the firm.