With household costs constantly rising, finding ways to save on energy has never been more worthwhile.
One effective approach to cutting costs – without sacrificing comfort – is to make smarter, more sustainable choices.
Green Specs, an online platform developed by Allianz Australia and the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), provides homeowners an easy-to-use guide for step-by-step sustainable home improvements.
The platform features an interactive, click-through layout breaking down different areas of the home and offers practical tips to boost energy efficiency and lower bills.
To make things easier, Take 5 has combed through The Guide and rounded up six of the quickest and simplest tweaks you can implement today to save on energy and reduce your bills.
1. Save money in the kitchen
The kitchen is one room where it’s easy to make a few simple changes to lower your bills.
One quick-win tip offered by The Guide is to turn down the thermostat on your instantaneous hot water system to 50°C. When set too high, your water heater can waste money in standby heat losses.
Be sure to check what kind of hot water system you have before changing the thermostat. If you’re renting, speak to your landlord about the model of your system before turning down your thermostat.
Additionally, Green Specs recommends in their guide switching to water-efficient taps in your kitchen and bathroom. This is a simple way to save money and live more sustainably. Modern models can cut water use by up to 50 percent without any pressure loss. This saves energy, lowers carbon emissions, and reduces waste.
2. Save money in the laundry
Laundries, especially those used for drying clothes, can see power bills soar during cooler months.
Green Specs advises those who have a condensing dryer installed in their laundry to run an exhaust fan or keep a window open for proper ventilation. Exhaust fans should be vented outside rather than into the ceiling cavity to improve airflow.
Adding a low-cost draught stopper or backdraft damper to exhaust fans helps prevent warm air from escaping and cold air from coming in. They’re easy to install, require little maintenance, and can quickly reduce heating and cooling costs.
3. Save money in your lounge room
There’s nothing cosier than turning up the heating on a cold winter’s night while sitting in front of your favourite TV show.
To prevent costs from spiralling, Green Specs suggests switching to an electric heat pump or electric-boosted solar hot water system for a more efficient and cost-saving way to be sustainable. These systems are roughly three times more efficient than a conventional electric resistance water heater and emit much less carbon than gas or gas-boosted systems.
If you’d like to make a real difference with your sustainable improvements, making sure your home is warm enough in winter is a good place to start. Heating our homes takes up the most energy, followed closely by cooling. The next highest consumer of energy is water heating, followed by appliances, lighting, cooking, and standby power.
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4. Save money in the bedroom
Sleeping in a warm room during the chillier months is a must for health and comfort.
To avoid costly heating bills, Green Specs recommends sealing over any unused vents in your ceilings or walls.
If vents aren’t needed for moisture control or unflued gas heaters (which we recommend avoiding), seal any gaps between the ducting and walls with caulk or foam. For cooling vents, use an insulated cover to close them in winter. If you’re in a rental, temporary covers can help seal unused vents.”
5. Save more with home insulation
Insulation is a simple way to keep your home comfortable while lowering the cost of heating and cooling.
Green Specs experts explain how proper insulation stops heat from entering and escaping your home. With the right insulation, it’s easier to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature with less energy use.
Ceilings typically have the most impact and are often the easiest to access, but insulation in walls and floorboards can also improve energy efficiency and overall comfort. Installing close-fitting insulation with no gaps is key.
6. Save more with double-glazed windows
It’s worth noting that up to 40 per cent of a home’s heat is lost in winter, and up to 87 per cent of its heat is gained through windows in summer.
Installing double-glazed windows ensures energy efficiency and has the benefit of future-proofing your home against a changing climate.
The increased strength of double-glazed windows means reduced risk of breakage, less noise from outside and better fire resistance.
Switching to a GreenPower energy plan means some of your home’s electricity will come from renewable sources.
GreenPower is a government-backed program that helps individuals and businesses support renewable energy. Most Australian electricity retailers offer GreenPower plans, allowing you to choose between 10% and 100% renewable energy.
Why it’s worth switching to GreenPower:
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