Energy EFFICIENCY tips for your home
Reducing our energy use is an important first step on the zero emissions journey. All residents (including tenants) can make significant energy savings just by making a few adjustments around the home. Electricity is mostly used by the appliances we operate and the way in which we cool and heat our homes. Luckily the appliances we use today are up to 80% more efficient than those of the 1980’s.
HEATING AND COOLING
In Queensland we utilise a greater proportion of our electricity to heat and cool our homes.
There are many cost effective things we can do to keep our home comfortable all year round.
draught proof our home, seal under doors and check our windows for any gaps, check the air conditioning vents to ensure they are not letting air though from the outside
insulate - ensure our homes have proper insulation this will assist in both summer and winter
open curtains and blinds during the day to let the warm sun filter in and then close them at night
use a fan for cooling first
If using an air conditioner, set it to a reasonable mid range temp. In summer set the range between 24-26 degrees celsius and in winter set between 18-20 degrees celsius, this consumes less energy over time
install a water efficient shower head, it will not only save you water costs it will also save on hot water heating.
There are a large number of great websites to help us reduce our energy use such as the Department of Environment and Energy website.
There are also a range of energy usage calculators which can help us better understand our consumption.
Appliance usage
Choosing an appliance that has a higher energy rating will provide long term energy savings.
many appliances use standby power supply which means they still consume energy when plugged in, even when not in use. We can maximise our savings by ensuring appliances are switched off at the wall. One easy way of practicing this approach is to plug the items into an energy saving power board and then switching the entire board off when not in use
use cold water to wash our clothes
only operate a dishwasher and washing machine when there is a full load
use Queensland’s biggest asset, the sunshine to dry our clothes when possible.
To help understand appliance ratings visit the Energy Made Easy Government website.
Want someone to assist the process of becoming more energy efficient? Check out the Energy Efficiency Council for what to look for in an accredited energy assessment provider.
Lighting
utilise as much natural light as possible
always switch off lights when not in use
install skylights where possible to let the natural light in
choose to replace lights with more efficient solutions such as (LED) Light Emitting Diodes.
REBATES
The Queensland Government currently offers a range of rebates and concessions for eligible customers. To find out if you are eligible visit the Department of Energy and Water website.