How can I be energy efficient at home?
Whether you are working from home, streaming movies or doing the washing, making small changes can help you be more energy efficient.
Heating and cooling
Saving energy while keeping warm and staying cool
- In winter, set your heater to around 20 degrees. Try to dress warm rather than turning the heater up.
- Seal up any gaps around your doors and windows with draught stoppers and weather strips.
- In summer, get your air conditioner serviced. Replacing old dirty filters may help lower your energy usage.
- Set temperatures on coolers to 24 degrees or higher. Every degree higher you can have your cooler may help you save energy.
Kitchen
Saving energy in the heart of the home
- Only use your dishwasher when it is full. Select the economy option on your dishwasher to shorten the running time.
- Try and cook as much as possible in the oven at the same time to make the most of the energy being used.
- Older fridges tend to use more energy, if more than ten years old consider upgrading to an energy efficient model.
- Induction cooktops are typically the most energy efficient. They take less time to heat up than gas or electric stovetops.
Bathroom
Saving energy going down the drain
- Use a shower timer to shorten showers for the whole family. Reducing shower time can help save energy.
- Choose showers over baths as much as possible to avoid heating a whole bathtub of water.
- Consider installing water-efficient showerheads so you are using and heating less water.
- If you have heated towel racks don’t keep them on permanently. Just switch them on before your shower or when needed.
Outdoor
Saving energy in the Aussie backyard
- Turn the temperature on your pool down or even completely off when you know you won’t be using it for a while.
- Connect your pool to a controlled load so it is metered separately to the rest of your house. Electricity will be supplied at off-peak times.
- If you have a second fridge for outdoor use, consider turning it off until you really need it.
- If you are running decorative ponds or fountains, choose a solar rather than an electric pump to save energy.
Living room
Saving energy while chilling
- Don’t leave your living room appliances such as TV’s, gaming consoles and stereos on standby as they constantly use energy.
- If you are buying a new TV, check out the energy efficiency rating, more stars means higher efficiency.
- The bigger the television, generally the more energy it will consume. Plasma televisions typically use the most energy.
- Use a cosy blanket to keep you warm on the couch. Keep blankets nearby so you aren’t tempted to turn up the heating.
Laundry
Saving energy when doing the washing
- Wash your clothes in cold water as much as possible. Use cold water detergents for the best results.
- Front loader washing machines are typically more energy efficient than top loaders as they use less water and less detergent.
- Use the economy mode on your washing machine whenever possible for a shorter cycle that uses less energy.
- Use mother nature to dry your clothes as much as possible. If you need to own a dryer, consider a heat pump dryer as it is the most energy efficient.
Home office
Saving energy working in your headquarters
- Use the energy saving setting on your computer to turn off screens and consume less energy when you are not at your desk.
- If you can close doors and heat or cool smaller spaces this can save you a lot of energy while you are working in your home office.
- Save energy on printers by reading documents on your computer as much as possible. If you must print, choose double sided to save paper.