Embrace Energy Efficiency

The cost of energy is rising and the effect of pollution is increasing. With just a bit of effort we can cut our household energy use by more than a quarter and rapidly repay this investment within a year or two with the savings on our energy bill. The energy efficiency of the technology available to us is improving and when combined with our common sense, can create large reductions in energy use.

How to do it now!

Eight easy-to-do actions will save tonnes of CO2 going into the atmosphere and save you a lot of money.

1. Install insulation in ceiling, floor and walls. The heating and cooling requirements of your house are reduced dramatically if the house is well insulated. By installing high r-value insulation bats, foil and other products you can better maintain a constant temperature in your home and reduce your heating/cooling bills. In addition, sealing up all those leaks around the household will help keep the cool out in winter, heat out in summer and save you too.
2. Install compact fluorescent globes. Compact fluorescent globes use approx one fifth the energy of incandescent globes (generating only one-fifth as much greenhouse gas as ordinary globes), produce the same amount of light and can last up to 10 times longer. While compact fluorescent globes cost a little more, you’ll make up the cost and more through their longer lifespan and reductions to your energy bill. They are available wherever conventional light globes are sold.
3. Shift to double-pane windows. Although it can be expensive, double-pane windows will create big savings on your energy bill especially during the cold and hot months of the year. In addition to double panes, energy efficient features to look for on windows include tinted glass coatings, low-emissivity (low-e) coatings, and multiple layers of glazing.
4. Block the summer heat. Install blinds and sun shades or plant deciduous trees to prevent the summer heat from over-heating your house.
5. Circulate air - Install ceiling fans for cooling in summer and circulating rising heat in winter, and decommission your air-conditioner.
6. Rug up in winter. Turn your heating thermostat down a couple of degrees (say to 20°C) and wear a jumper in winter. Every degree over 22°C adds about 10% to your heating bill!
7. Let nature work for you. Use your clothes line rather than the clothes dryer.
8. Shut off the power at night. Many hardware stores now sell powerboards which have a remote control on-off switch, so you can now turn off the stand-by-power of systems without having to climb under the TV or Sound system to do so.

Explore a Green Loan from Bendigo Bank. Whether you’re investing in an environmentally friendly home, renovating your existing home or purchasing products like solar hot water systems, home insulation or a water tank you can benefit from reduced interest rates with Bendigo Bank green Home & Personal Loans.

Rebates

Check our rebates and assistance page for rebates relating to energy efficiency.

Why this action is important?

Science is telling us that we need to live more sustainably; more in tune with nature. In order for humans to establish a sustainable civilisation we must aspire to the efficiencies found in nature. This action is intended to engage people to better understand the effect of their behaviour in terms of future generations. Through our actions, we will understand that living sustainably does not mean living in a cold, dark place, but merely making a few simple changes to our daily lives.

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