Saving Energy Tips 

All sorts of savings can be made, in and about our homes.  Even when composing these tips, I suddenly became aware that I was wasting water while doing the dishes.  Instead of rinsing the clean dishes in the half sink, I was letting the hot water run without putting in the sink plug.  I was unaware of what I was doing until now.  Needless to say, I have changed my habit.

 

 

Electricity for lighting costs households about $200 plus, every year and generates around 20,000 black balloons of greenhouse gas.

 

Governments are urging homeowners to instal compact fluorescent globes wherever possible in place of conventional incandescent globes.  If we did this, the savings would be more than 6 billion balloons of greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Incandescent globes were the first form of electric lighting ever introduced for use in the home. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are far more efficient, with a typical CFL using around 80 per cent less electricity and lasting around 8 times longer than an incandescent light globe.

 

Hot Water

 

Replacing your hot water system with a solar unit will emit fewer greenhouse gases.

 

Connecting a Solar hot water system has an immediate effect in reducing power bills. Living in a region that has sunshine is the only criteria.

 

Thanks to the electric booster switch, the system is not totally dependant on sunshine, and will still heat the water during extended cloudy weather.  

Passive solar power does not harm the ozone layer and is therefore the most preferred source of solar energy. Solar is free energy that's completely clean and as abundant as sunlight. Passive solar systems have zero or little

operating costs, emit no toxic gases, and are low on maintenance costs, as such,  they should be given full consideration as a renewable source of energy. 

 

If you do use an air conditioner, make sure that all the doors and windows are shut, and it is only turned up high enough for comfort. Ceiling fans and

cross ventilation are another option, especially in the summer.  

Rainwater is an untapped resource for many households. As our drinking supplies dry up and governments rush to spend billions on energy intensive desalination plants, we still flush our toilets and water our gardens with high quality drinking water.

 

Wouldn't it make more sense to reduce the pressure on our dams and reservoirs by installing a rainwater tank?  

Composting your vegetable scraps and adding worms means that you have a ready supply of compost for your garden, without the need to buy fertilisers, or other chemical additives.

 

If your local council or government agency provides recycle bins, make sure that any material you put in the bin doesn't have any food scraps or other foreign material attached to it. If it does, this will cause it to be unsuitable for recycling, and will contaminate other, clean items.

 

Take your own shopping bags to the supermarket, and use them instead of the plastic bags the stores supply. 

 

See the next page for tips from the Australian and New Zealand Solar Energy Society.