Using less energy around the home is much easier to achieve than you might think. Tapping into the sun’s warmth and light, making simple design changes, choosing and using your appliances wisely, and changing a few old habits can make all the difference – to your energy bills, your comfort and the environment.

1 Make the most of the sun’s warmth by installing large windows on the northern side of your house. To stay cool in summer, install awnings, eaves or blinds that block the high summer sun.

2 Make sure that your home is well insulated. A properly insulated home can be up to 10°C warmer in winter and as much as 7°C cooler in summer.

3 Whenever the weather permits, use a clothes line instead of a dryer to dry your washing. You’ll save money and help cut greenhouse gases by about 3 kilograms for every load of washing.

4 One of the simplest ways to save energy is to switch off appliances at the wall when you won’t be using them for a few hours. Keeping appliances on stand-by can account for 10 per cent of a household electricity bill.

5 If you have central heating and an adjustable thermostat, try turning your heating down a fraction. You may not notice a big difference heat-wise, but you could make big savings: a reduction of 1°C can cut bills by 10 per cent.

6 Plug gaps around windows and doors and any other external openings using draught excluders and weather strips. Draughtproofing can cut household heat loss by up to 25 per cent in winter.

7 Reduce heat loss by up to one-third in winter by covering windows with heavy, lined, close-fitting curtains and a closed pelmet.

8 Replace standard incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Though a little more expensive than conventional bulbs, CFLs are much more efficient, creating an equivalent light at a significantly lower wattage –a 25-watt CFL is as bright as a100-watt regular bulb. As a result, CFLs can last 10 times as long and use 80 per cent less energy.

9 Select appliances that are both energy-efficient and the right size for your needs – a 284-litre fridge will use 20 per cent more energy than a 210-litre fridge, even if they both have the same Energy Rating.

10 If you have a choice between natural gas and conventional electricity, go with gas. Not only is natural gas normally cheaper, it produces one-third of the greenhouse gas emissions of electricity from coal-fired power stations.

11 Make sure that your hot-water tank and pipes are properly insulated. In an average home, heating water accounts for more than one-quarter of the household energy bill; and as much as half of total water-heating costs can be due to heat loss.

12 Next time you change your hot-water system, consider buying an energy-efficient gas, solar or electric-heat-pump unit. These systems cost more to purchase, but are much cheaper to run. They will save you money in the long term, and help reduce greenhouse gases.

Top Tip
Working out how energy-efficient your home is can simply be a matter of taking a close look at your habits, bills, appliances and fittings. Many energy authorities and suppliers provide information and tools that will assist, and some even offer onsite assessments. Alternatively, seek advice from building designers who specialise in sustainability.

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