Here are some useful tips to help you become more energy efficient, and save money too.
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| Heating and cooling |
Close internal doors to rooms that do not require heating or cooling. Use door snakes to reduce cold draughts. |
| Lighting |
Turn off lights when not in use. |
| Hot Water |
Take shorter showers. |
| Laundry |
Use cold water cycles and wash full loads rather than several smaller loads. |
| Fridge |
Check the door seals on your fridge are OK and pick the right size fridge (not too big or small). |
| Cooking |
If you’re heating up the oven, try and cook a few things at once. |
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| Heating and cooling |
Cover windows with quality curtains or blinds to reduce heat lost from the house in winter and reduce the heat coming in during summer. |
| Lighting |
Install energy efficient light bulbs. They use about 75% less energy and can last up to 8 times longer. |
| Hot Water |
Replace inefficient shower heads with energy efficient models to reduce the amount of water used. |
| Laundry |
Dry your clothes on a clothesline or airer instead of using the dryer. |
| Fridge |
Turn off the second fridge or freezer when not needed. |
| Cooking |
Cook outside on hot days to avoid heating up the house (or you’ll need to use energy to cool it down). |
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| Heating and cooling |
Insulate the ceiling, walls and floors of your home. |
| Lighting |
Use timers or sensors on outdoor security lights. |
| Hot Water |
Have water heaters as close to the areas where hot water is used to minimize heat loss. |
| Laundry |
When buying new electrical appliances, select the product with the best energy star rating that you can afford. |
| Fridge |
When buying a new fridge, select the best energy star rating you can afford. |
| Cooking |
Install a solar photovoltaic system. |
Another way to score brownie points with Mother Nature.
If you want to do even more for the environment, why not consider replacing your electricity with Australian Power & Gas greentricity. For a small weekly charge, have 100% of the electricity we purchase on your behalf sourced from accredited renewable energy (such as sun, wind, water and waste). Our products have the GreenPower tick of approval.
There are lots of places you can read more about being energy efficient. Check out some of these sites.
Australian Greenhouse Office www.climatechange.gov.au
GreenPower www.greenpower.gov.au
Energy Rating www.energyrating.gov.au
Energy Star www.energystar.gov.au
* Source: All tips are taken from the Department of the Environment and Water Resources Australian Greenhouse Office ‘Cool it’ publication