Saving in Summer
The wattle is out and things are starting to look colourful. You may even have a touch of hay fever, all sure signs that warmer weather is on the way. You also know that means you are getting ready to turn on the air conditioner even though you were determined not to use it again after receiving last summer’s bill. Well there are a number of simple things that can be done to reduce your energy use around the home this summer without spending a cent.
It’s simple, on mornings of hot days, close up the house and shade all windows to block out the summer heat. When it cools down outside, open up the house to cool breezes. The energy used for heating and cooling a typical home generates more than one and a half tonnes of greenhouse gases and costs more every year. With the average Australian household generating about 14 tonnes of greenhouse gases annually.
Dress appropriately for the summer. An air conditioner setting of 26°C is usually comfortable. An extra 1°C difference in your air conditioning setting can add around 10% to cooling costs and greenhouse gas emissions. And don’t forget to clean air conditioner filters as a clogged filter reduces airflow efficiency.
Drying a load of clothes in a dryer generates more than three kilograms of greenhouse gases. Hang clothes on the line rather than using a dryer. Another option is to hang clothes on a rack first before finishing them off in the dryer.
Many appliances now use electricity even when they’re doing little or nothing at all. When appliances are switched off at the power point they use no energy.
While installing ceiling insulation or a solar electricity system is great, just start simple and cut your home energy costs this summer.
