Saving energy in the home

Lighting

  • Turn off unnecessary lights
  • Compact fluorescents last 8 time longer than incandescent globes and save up to 80% of electricity
  • Avoid low voltage spot-lights and down-lights
  • Use timer controls and daylight or movement sensors to switch off lights automatically
  • Paint walls in light colours, they reflect light and reduce the amount of lighting needed

Heating and cooling

  • Seal out draughts by sealing/weather-stripping cracks around windows, doors, openings of pipes etc and using door 'snakes'
  • Hang heavyweight tight-fitting curtains from closed pelmets to reduce heat loss through windows by 30-50%
  • Shading north and particularly west facing windows in summer with native vegetation or awnings will keep your home cooler
  • Put on warmer clothes before turning on the heater
  • Roof and wall insulation will reduce your heating and cooling needs
  • Close off unoccupied rooms to reduce your heating and cooling costs
  • Use ceiling fans to force hot air down to ground level or to increase comfort at high temperatures
  • Use reverse cycle air conditioning systems to heat and cool your home - they are up to 3-4 times more energy efficient than other heaters
  • Gas heaters are cheaper to run and produce lower greenhouse gas emissions than electric heaters
  • Make sure your heating system can be zoned so you heat only the rooms you are using and not the whole house
  • Use a room thermometer to keep the room heated to 18-21 degrees in winter and cooled to 23-26 degrees in summer

Applicances

  • Buy energy star appliances. The more stars coloured-in on the label, the more energy/water efficient the appliance is and therefore cheaper to run
  • Turn off the computer screen when not in use for more than 30 minutes
  • Turn off the computer over night
  • Turn off TVs, DVD players, stereos, etc at the power point to reduce electricity consumption by up to 11.6% (eliminating standby power)

Kitchen

Cooking

  • Use a microwave rather than a conventional oven to cut costs by 70% and halve cooking time
  • Try not to open the oven door whilst cooking./LI>
  • Boil water in an electric kettle instead of boiling on a hotplate
  • When cooking in a saucepan, use minimum water, keep the lid on to trap the heat and simmer instead of boil
  • Switch to gas cookers - they produce 80% less CO2 than electric ones
  • Fan-forced ovens cost up to 35% less to run than conventional ovens, reduce cooking time by 1/3

Refrigerator/Freezer

  • Set the fridge at 5ºC and freezer at -15°C. Every degree lower adds about 5% to the running costs
  • Keep the fridge at least 5cm from the wall to allow the heat to escape and save up to 150kg greenhouse gases a year
  • Locate your fridge/freezer out of the sun and away from the oven
  • Ensure the door seals tightly and open as infrequently as possible

Washing

Dishwasher

  • Only use your dishwasher when it is full
  • Use the economy setting or the lowest possible heat setting
  • Turn the machine off before the drying cycle starts and let dishes dry in the stored heat, or open the dishwasher door and let them dry
  • Dishwashers connected to cold water are usually more efficient than dishwashers connected to the hot water system

Laundry

  • Front-loading automatic washing machines use considerably less energy and water than top-loading automatics
  • Use cold settings on your washing machine as much as possible to cut down on hot water costs
  • Keep the lint filter in your dryer clean. A dirty lint filter takes the dryer much longer to dry clothes
  • Dry clothes on a clothes line – this also disinfects your clothes

Hot Water

  • Take shorter showers
  • Repair leaking taps
  • Check for a leaking pressure relief valve on the side of your hot water tank as it can waste hundreds of litres of hot water
  • Turn off the power on your hot water system when going away for long periods
  • Fit ‘3 star’ (or above) showerhead to save up to $100 on energy and water bills and 1 tonne greenhouse gases every year
  • Switch to an energy efficient water heater –gas, solar (gas boosted) or heat pump produce 65%-90% less greenhouse emissions than electric