Energy Savings

Here’s how you can save money on your home energy bills this winter.

Reduce General Energy Usage In The Home

• Considering your energy use and patterns such as tariffs and appliances, and utilise appliances during off-peak periods as often as possible
• Switching to LED lamps and practicing “task lighting” by using light only when required
• Consider having movement and presence detectors installed in high traffic areas in the home such as bathrooms and hallways
• Consider having solar hot water systems with an electric boost on off-peak tariffs installed

Retain Heat

• Cover your windows with blinds or shades of thick dark fabric to retain heat within the house or room
• Consider home insulation to assist in the retention of heat (this will also help to reflect heat in the summer)
• Prevent external draughts from entering rooms, with old fashioned draught stoppers on external doors. You can also check the seals in your windows, to ensure draughts aren’t entering through any holes
• Layer up your clothing for personal warmth, and keep a throw rug handy in the lounge room to use before turning on a heater

When Doing The Laundry

• Utilise the clothes line to dry laundry instead of the electric dryer which is costly and chews through energy quickly
• Use cold water in washing machines

In The Kitchen

• Use the appropriate cookware on stove tops
• Do not use the microwave to heat water in mugs, a kettle is the more economical option
• Ensure your oven glass is clean and the light is in working order to prevent excessive opening and closing of the oven door
• Check your fridge seals to make sure there are no leakages, and increase your fridge temperature by one or two degrees

Appliances

• When using heaters or air conditioners, set the temperature at 24° Celsius
• Use ceiling fans (if fitted) in reverse – there is a switch on the bell housing
• Use solar powered lamps for decorative garden lighting
• Have your electric blankets checked before use to ensure they are in good working order
• Consider using your laptop or notebook for updates rather than a large CPU
• Set your laptop or notebook screen saver to blank
• Recharge or have certain appliances put on off-peak tariffs

Purchasing energy efficient appliances like washing machines can certainly decrease your energy use, but did you know there are a number of behaviours you can modify to help save energy too?

Food Preparation

• Thaw food before cooking instead of using the microwave
• Use minimum water and keep lids on pots
  Simmer instead of boiling water
• Match the pot size to the hotplate/burner size
• Turn the oven off 10 minutes before cooking is finished and use residual heat to finish cooking
• When using aluminium foil apply the dull side up
• Turn your microwave, oven and stovetop off at the power point when not in use to avoid using standby power
• Only boil as much water as needed when using the kettle.

Food Storage

• Set the refrigerator and freezer at optimum temperatures. Optimum refrigerator temperature is 3° to 5° Celsius. Optimum freezer temperature is -15° to -18° Celsius
• Minimise the number of times the refrigerator and freezer doors are opened
• Regularly clean and defrost the icebox or freezer
• Provide good ventilation to the refrigeration cabinet
• Don’t overfill the fridge.

Cleaning

• Turn off standby power to dishwasher, washing machine and clothes dryer
• Stop the dishwasher before the drying cycle and allow dishes to air dry
• Only run the dishwasher when it is full
• Wash clothes in cold water
• Use a clothesline for drying instead of using a clothes dryer
• If using a clothes dryer, place a drying rack in front of the dryer to avoid multiple loads
• Reduce showering time.

Lighting

• Turn off lights when the room is not in use
• Only use lights when necessary.

Climate Control

• When using heating/cooling appliances, increase the temperature in summer and reduce it in winter. Every degree will be saving you approximately 10% of your heating and cooling running costs
• Only operate heating, cooling and ventilation when required
• Use economy cycle with air conditioners if possible
• Use zoning and keep doors closed when operating heating and cooling appliances
• Regularly maintain heating and cooling appliances
• Use ceiling fans instead of air conditioning where possible
• Reduce internal heat load by turning off appliances not in use.

Pool and Spa

• Reduce pump filtration run time to match seasonal requirement. E.g. summer 6-8 hours, winter 2-3 hours
• Reduce temperature for heated pools
• Use pool covers and blankets
• Regularly clean the filter and skimmer
• Investigate off-peak tariff options with your energy retailer.

Entertainment

• Turn off TV, DVD/Blu-ray players, game, and consoles, and other entertainment appliances at the power point to avoid using standby power
• Only operate TV, DVD/Blu-ray players, games and consoles, and other entertainment appliances when someone is using it
• Enable power management on all computers to allow hibernation when not in use
• Turn off computers and peripheral devices when not in use.

Saving power can be one of the simplest ways of improving the profitability of your business. You can make quick power saving changes across your business that will reduce your energy bills, lessen carbon pollution and conserve energy. By also training your staff on energy saving, together you can do your bit for the environment.

The more energy you save, the more profitable your business can be.

Here are 10 great ways to start:

1. Keep Control Of Your Heating And Cooling

Simply reducing the heating temperatures in your business by one degree in winter can cut your heating bill by up to 8 per cent. If possible, open up the blinds or curtains on a sunny day and turn the heater off. In warmer months, setting your air conditioner’s temperature just one degree higher than usual can reduce the power it uses by up to 10%. Positioning thermostats away from draughts and direct sunlight ensures they are accurate.

2. Avoid Wastage

You can save up to 75% of total heat loss by closing doors to colder rooms on cooler days, and closing doors to warmer rooms on hotter days. Fitting draught excluders and making sure your premises are well insulated can be very cost effective. Keeping doors and windows closed when heating or air conditioning is running will also save on costs.

3. Minimise Artificial Lighting And Replace Existing Lighting With A More Efficient Option

By having the windows and skylights clean, you can cut the amount you spend on lighting. If you are working in one part of a room, isolate the lights to that area only. Label switches so your staff only turn on the lights they need, and turn them off completely at the end of a working day. You could also consider installing presence and daylight sensors to turn the lights on and off automatically. Switch your existing lighting to a more efficient lighting system – there are plenty of options available, and the annual savings are considerable.

4. Use Energy Saving Features

Most electronic office equipment such as printers and photocopiers have energy saving capabilities. Train your staff on how to use these features.

5. Switch Off Office Equipment When Not In Use

A single computer and monitor left on 24 hours a day can cost over $200 a year. Switching it off after hours will conserve energy and reduce your energy bill. You could also fit seven-day timers to ensure equipment like printers and photocopiers are turned off overnight and on weekends. ENERGY STAR© computers with a sleep mode consume up to 80% less energy than conventional computers, with laptops up to 90%. Setting PCs to go into sleep mode when not in use can save up to 70% of the energy they consume when in full power mode.

6. Make Sure Your Equipment And Systems Are Well Maintained

A properly maintained heating and cooling system should work more efficiently than one that is not maintained. This should save energy and running costs.

7. Out With The Old… Update Your Heating And Cooling Systems

If your old air conditioner or heater is not working at maximum efficiency, it could cost you money and use a lot of unnecessary power. By replacing air conditioners and heaters that are more than 10 years old, you can save up to 40% of your annual heating and cooling energy costs.

8. Invest Well

When purchasing PCs, monitors, printers, fax machines, and copiers, consider ENERGY STAR© models that power down after a user-specified period of inactivity. If appropriate, use inkjet printers – they consume 90% less energy than laser printers. Purchase appropriately sized copiers for your business’s needs. Look for the energy rating label when purchasing new appliances and equipment – the more stars the better.

9. Get Your Staff Involved In The Effort To Save Power

Create an energy efficient work culture in your business. Saving energy will require your employees to take on some of the responsibility, so make sure to consult them before changing your practises, and ensure everyone is on board in the effort to reduce power usage.

10. Take Advantage Of Grants And Assistance In Your State

Access grants and other funding programs for energy efficient projects at www.business.gov.au/grantfinder

Visit the following websites for more tips and information on how your business can reduce power usage:

• Australian Capital Territory – Energy
• New South Wales – Save Power
• Queensland – Tips for saving energy in your business
• South Australia – Reducing business water, waste and energy costs
• Tasmania – Business tips and tools
• Victoria – Tips to reduce your energy bills
• Western Australia – Small business, big impact

This information brought to you by business.gov.au