Water heating
(27% of household
energy use)
Do you have an energy efficient water heating system? (solar, wetback, hot water heat pump)
Consider installing a solar, wetback or hot water heat pump system
Check your water temperature is at 55-60ºC
Reset your water temperature to 60ºC
Is your shower flow rate 9 litres per minute or less?
Consider changing your shower to a AAA rated shower head
Do you use a bath regularly?
Consider using a shower regularly as a bath uses over 150 litres of water whereas a shower only uses 80 litres for an 8 minute shower.
Is there insulation on your water pipes and/or cylinder wrap?
Install pipe lagging on your water pipes and/or cylinder wrap
Fridges & freezers
(10% of household
energy use)
Is your fridge or freezer more than 10 years old?
If your fridge is more than 10 years old consider replacing it as it can cost twice as much to run as a newer fridge
Do you have a second fridge?
A second fridge or freezer can cost over $150 to run. Consider only using it when necessary
Is your fridge (s)/freezer (s) in a sunny location or next to a heat source (e.g stove)
Locate fridge/freezers in cool areas away from direct sunlight or heat sources.
Does your fridge frost up?
Check fridge seals - a poor seal lets in moisture. Check the operating temperature is between 3ºC and 5ºC for a fridge or minus 15ºC minus 18ºC for a freezer.
Lighting
(8% of household
energy use)
Do you have compact fluorescent lighting or other energy efficient lighting in your home?
CFL's use up to 70% less energy than incandescent bulbs. Replace incandescent bulbs with CFL's as appropriate.
Do you regularly turn off lights when you leave a room
Heating
(30% of household
energy use)
Do you use an energy efficient heating system? (heat pump, pellet burner)
Consider installing an energy efficient heating system
Is the temperature in the living areas of your home in winter 21ºC
If the temperature is higher than 21ºC, for each degree higher the energy use can be increasing by 10%. If the temperature is regularly lower than 18ºC it may be causing health problems for the occupants.
Insulation
Are your ceilings insulated?
Insulation is one of the most effective energy efficient measures you can take.
Are you walls and floor insulated?
If your house was built pre 1977 it is unlikely to have insulation.
Do you have curtains and pelmets over living room windows?
Curtains and pelmets help keep the heat in during winter and the heat out during summer.
Are there draughts through doors and windows?
Consider draught stripping as an effective energy saving solution measure. A 3mm gap around a door is the equivalent of a hole in the wall the size of a brick.
Appliances
Do you leave your appliances on standby?
Standby appliances can use up to 10% of a households energy. By turning appliances off at the wall this can be greatly reduced.
