thisplace.com.au - How Green Is Your Home?

The main environmental impact of energy use is the increased greenhouse effect. Burning fossil fuels to generate electricity or heat produces carbon dioxide (CO2) the main greenhouse gas. If you want to reduce the impact of your home, you have to either reduce your energy consumption or use sources of energy that don't produce CO2.

Whatever you choose, the beauty is that you're likely to save money as well. Here's what you can do.

Hot Water

A conventional electric water heater produces about the same amount of greenhouse gas pollution as the family car. Get a gas, solar or heat pump system and save several tonnes of CO2 a year.
Solar and heat pump water heaters are more expensive to buy, but there are government rebates in some states. Depending on where you live and what system you're replacing, it can pay for itself in a few years.
Use water efficient showerhead. Good models cost from as little as $20, money you'll save on your water and electricity bills in only a few months.
Taking five minute showers instead of longer ones or baths may mean a bit of a lifestyle change, but it can save considerable money.

Heating and Cooling

An uninsulated roof accounts for a large part of a house's winter heat losses and summer heat gains. So installing roof insulation should be a number one priority for house owners.
It'll save you enough on your energy bills to pay for the investment within a few years, especially in the colder parts of Australia. And it'll reduce your CO2 account.
If you have a choice of heating fuels and heater types, selecting the right one can save you tonnes of CO2 and hundreds of dollars.

Renewable energy

Using electricity generated from renewable energy sources is one of the few areas where being energy wise doesn't also pay off financially. However, the environmental benefit is huge.

All electricity retailers except in South Australia and the Northern Territory offer green power schemes.
If you subscribe to such a scheme you're guaranteed that the amount of electricity you use (or a certain percentage of it, depending on the scheme you choose) is generated by renewable sources, avoiding tonnes of CO2. However you'll have to pay a premium on the electricity tariff, amounting to about the price of a cup of coffee a week for the average household.
If you're really keen, you can even generate your own electricity. For example, photovoltaic systems convert solar radiation into electricity without producing any pollution. Installing a correctly sized system means you'll never have to pay an electricity bill again.
While a government rebate makes it much more affordable, the purchase price is still very high and it'll take a long time to pay for itself.

Large appliances

The next time you replace a large appliance, choose one with a high energy rating.
Drying your washing on a clothesline instead of in a dryer can save hundreds of kilos of CO2 and quite a bit of money too.
A front loading washing machine uses only about half the amount of water of a top loader and is also more energy efficient and therefore costs only about half the money to run.
Wash your clothes in cold water.
Always fully load your washing machine and dishwasher. Half load programs use less energy than the normal program but still more than 50% of a full load.

Lighting

Long life light bulbs last several times as long as incandescent bulbs and use only 20-25% of the energy for the same light output. So over their lifetime they more than pay for the higher purchase price.

Garden watering systems

Watering the garden after a hard day's work can be very therapeutic. But for some people it's time they just don't have, today a versatile garden watering kit from around $20 can save you time, money and water.