| • |
Take
shorter showers |
| • |
Fix
leaky hot water taps as soon as possible |
| • |
Use
the plug in basins - don't leave hot water taps running |
| • |
Try
not to use small amounts of hot water frequently - not
only do you heat the water you use but also the water
left in the pipe |
| • |
Set
the water heating thermostat to 60C on storage hot water
systems and 50C on instantaneous systems (if you are
unsure of how to do this, contact your manufacturer/service
person) |
| • |
Locate
the water heater close to points of use - long hot water
pipes waste hot water |
| • |
Insulate
the first 2 metres of pipes leaving the hot water storage
tank |
| • |
Install
a AAA rated water efficient showerhead if you have a
storage hot water system |
| • |
Use
a timer on electric-boosted solar water heaters to minimise
electric consumption when not needed |
| • |
Turn
the hot water system off when you go on extended holiday |
| • |
When purchasing a new system choose the most energy
efficient model for your needs and consider a solar hot water system
- rebates are now available to assist with the purchase of solar hot
water systems. |
| • |
Shade
windows with awnings or verandahs |
| • |
Close
blinds and curtains during the day to prevent heat entering |
| • |
Make
use of natural ventilation by opening windows once it's
cooler outside than inside |
| • |
Seal
gaps near doors and windows - up to 10% of a home's heat
gain comes through gaps and cracks |
| • |
Use
fans to create cooling breezes |
| • |
Avoid
unshaded paving in front of north facing windows |
| • |
Grow
deciduous trees or vines on a pergola on the north side
of your home to provide shading |
| • |
Put
off jobs that produce heat or steam, such as cooking,
washing or ironing, until cooler times of the day |
| • |
Close
all doors around the area you are cooling and keep the
area to a minimum |
| • |
If you are using an air conditioner, set it to a temperature
between 24 - 27 degrees ºC. Around these set points, each degree you
lower your thermostat, energy consumption increases by about 10%. |
| • |
Clean
air conditioner filters regularly and keep external air
conditioners shaded |
| • |
Turn
off cooling systems overnight or when you are out |
| • |
When purchasing a new cooling system choose the most
energy efficient model for your needs. |
| • |
Don't have your thermostat set too high
- set between
18ºC - 20 ºC |
| • |
Open
blinds and curtains during the day to let the free heat
of the sun in - up to 3 kWh of heat per square metre
of window can be let in per day, which is equivalent
to a single bar radiator running for 3 hours |
| • |
Close
curtains and blinds at night to keep the heat in - curtains
with fitted pelmets are the most effective for this purpose |
| • |
Block
off unused open fireplaces to prevent heat escaping |
| • |
Install
draught excluders on doors and windows and seal all gaps
to the outside |
| • |
Grow
deciduous trees or vines on a pergola on the north side
of your home to let the heat of the sun filter through
windows |
| • |
Use
ceiling fans to circulate warm air - reversible ceiling
fans are best, as they can circulate warm air without
passing a breeze over your skin |
| • |
Heat
only the rooms you are using by closing doors to unheated
areas* |
| • |
Keep
heaters clean for maximum performance - keep reflectors
shiny and dust free and clean air filters frequently |
| • |
Turn
off heating appliances overnight or when you are out |
| • |
Consider
timers for portable electric heaters so you can program
the heater to come on shortly before you wake up, rather
than running the heater all night |
| • |
Use
electric blankets in preference to room heaters in bedrooms
and switch off after getting into bed |
| • |
When purchasing a new heating system choose the most
energy efficient model for your needs. |
*Unflued
gas and kerosene heaters should not be used in closed off rooms
as they require proper ventilation. They must never by used in
bedrooms or bathrooms.
| • |
Locate
fridges and freezers away from the sun or heat producing
appliances, such as cookers and dishwashers |
| • |
Don't
overload or underload the fridge - try to leave free
space for air circulation |
| • |
Check
the fridge seal regularly to make sure it's tight - place
a piece of paper between the seal, if it doesn't move
easily it's a good seal |
| • |
Keep
the fridge door shut as much as possible |
| • |
Thaw
frozen food in the fridge - by making your fridge cooler
it won't have to work so hard |
| • |
Keep
the inside temperature of your fridge between 3C and
5C and the freezer between -15C and -18C (every degree
lower requires 5% more energy) |
| • |
Defrost
freezers regularly following the manufacturers instructions |
| • |
For
fridges with exposed condenser coils, ensure that air
can circulate behind the fridge and clean the coils annually |
| • |
Turn
the fridge off when you go on extended holiday and try
to keep the door open to keep the fridge fresh |
| • |
If
you have more than one fridge, switch the additional
one off when not needed |
| • |
When purchasing a new refrigerator or freezer look for
the energy rating label - the more stars the more energy efficient. |
| • |
Use small appliances where possible - use the microwave
over a conventional oven, the toaster over the grill, the kettle over
the hotplate. |
| • |
Put
fitted lids on pots as much as possible |
| • |
Match
the size of pots to the size of the element or flame
area |
| • |
Boil
only the amount of water you need |
| • |
Use
steamers and pot dividers to cook all your vegetables
at once |
| • |
Let
frozen foods thaw before cooking |
| • |
Avoid
opening the oven door unnecessarily when cooking |
| • |
Check
the seal on the oven door - make sure its clean and in
good condition |
| • |
Keep
preheating times in electric ovens to a minimum. Preheating
is not necessary in a gas oven |
| • |
Ensure
adequate ventilation in cooking areas to remove hot,
humid air |
| • |
Cook outside on the BBQ on hot days to avoid heating
the house. |
| • |
Turn
lights off when not needed |
| • |
Use
fluorescent lighting in rooms where light is required
for long periods |
| • |
Use
task lighting over areas where work is carried out and
incorporate dimmer switches where you may not always
require strong lighting |
| • |
Use
incandescent globes in areas of your home where light
is used for short periods of time, such as walk-in cupboards
and toilets |
| • |
Make
the best use of daylight, but take care to limit direct
daylight during summer |
| • |
Use
the lowest wattage light needed to adequately light up
an area |
| • |
Keep
lights and fittings clean |
| • |
Avoid
using downlights for general lighting |
| • |
Avoid
using multiple globe fittings |
| • |
Place
switches at exits of rooms to encourage people to turn
off lights and use two way switches where possible |
| • |
Avoid
having several lights activated by one switch - use separate
switches for each light |
| • |
Paint
rooms light colours. Dark wall, ceiling and curtain colours
absorb light, increasing the amount of lighting needed |
| • |
Use motion detectors or timers for outdoor security
lighting. |
| • |
Use
cold water as much as possible |
| • |
Wash
a full load rather than several smaller loads |
| • |
Separate
heavily soiled clothes from lightly soiled ones |
| • |
Adjust
the cycle to match the load and use energy saving or
economy cycles where possible |
| • |
When purchasing a new washing machine look for the energy
rating label - the more stars the more energy efficient. |
| • |
First
and foremost - use a clothes line or rack instead of
a dryer as much as possible. The sun's energy is free! |
| • |
Spin
clothes as much as possible before placing in the dryer |
| • |
Dry
heavy items separately from light ones |
| • |
Clean
the lint filter in the dryer after every load |
| • |
Use
the correct temperature setting for the type of clothes |
| • |
Avoid
over loading or over drying |
| • |
When purchasing a new dryer look for the energy rating
label - the more stars the more energy efficient. |
| • |
Rinse
dishes in cold water |
| • |
Use
the plug in the sink rather than letting the water run
continuously |
| • |
Use only the water you need - you may not need to completely
fill the sink every time. |
| • |
Rinse
dishes in cold water before placing in the dishwasher |
| • |
Wait
until the dishwasher has a full load before running |
| • |
Use
energy saving or economy cycles where possible - select
the cycle with the lowest temperature and the minimum
time to get the job done |
| • |
Connect
the dishwasher to cold water so it heats its own water
- it should heat to a lower temperature than your hot
water system which can heat water to over 60C |
| • |
Turn
the dishwasher off before the final drying cycle - open
the door and let the dishes dry naturally |
| • |
Load
the dishwasher to manufacturers instructions |
| • |
Clean
the filter after each wash |
| • |
When purchasing a new dishwasher look for the energy
star rating label - the more stars the more energy efficient. |
| • |
Switch
off electronic equipment at the power point to avoid
using electricity in standby mode - especially when you
go on holidays |
| • |
Ensure
that home office equipment is ENERGY STAR compliant and
make sure its enabled |
| • |
Switch off computers and printers if you won't be using
them for half an hour or more. |
| • |
Grow
deciduous trees or vines on a pergola on the north side
of your home to let the free heat of the sun filter through
windows while providing shading in summer |
| • |
Put
timers on pump-driven reticulation systems |
| • |
Use
a properly fitted pool cover and a solar pool heater
to maximise passive pool heating |
| • |
Use a timer on your pool pump and reduce its operating
time over winter. |
