Electricity

Quick Wins | Medium Term Wins | Longer Term Wins

Electricity prices keep going up. So this is your opportunity to save some $$$ as well as reducing the reliance on coal and natural gas. We want to keep this country nuclear free!

Essentially we have two options. Reduce the use of electricity from non green sources, or increase the use of electricity from renewable sources.

Renewable sources include hydro dams, winds farms, geothermal and solar power. Scientists and technology gurus are working on other forms of renewable energy such as wave power, and to make solar and wind power more cost effective.

Have a look through the ideas below and note down those ideas that you can put in place today, and those that you can work towards.

Quick Wins

• only turn on lights when you need them and turn them off when you leave the room

• turn off your computer and modem at night or when you are not using it, both a home and at work

• turn off your TV at the wall instead of leaving in on standby

• turn off your Playstation and Wii at the wall instead of leaving in on standby

• use a multiboard with individual switches so that you only turn on the appliances you need to use

• if you have central heating or a heat pump, turn the temperature level down 1 degree - you won't notice the difference

• set your hot water cylinder to no more than 55 °C

• keep a warm blanket in the lounge. Reach for that before reaching for another heater

• only use the dishwasher and washing machine when it is full, and run the dishwasher overnight rather than during the peak electricity time around dinner

• wash your clothes in cold water - New Zealand detergents work just as well with cold water as with hot

• dry your clothes outside where possible rather than using the dryer

• don’t spend all day in the shower, and keep baths to a once week treat

• if your chest freezer is not full, fill up some old drink containers to 2/3 full and put them in the bottom of the freezer

• de-ice your freezer regularly if necessary

• keep your fridge at 3-5 °C, and your freezer between -15 to -17 °C

• if you need to go to work in the weekends, only turn on the lights and air-conditioning for your area

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Medium Term Wins

• install energy efficient light bulbs - check out RightLight.govt.nz (make sure you dispose of the bulbs safely - read the discussion topic for more details)

• install timer switches for your heated towel rail, bathroom fan, electric blanket, hall light, or even your kid's tv

• buy a thermal wrap for your hot water cylinder. Don’t worry, your linen will still keep dry

• consider using a low flow shower head. This will reduce the hot water you use

• replace inefficient fan heaters with more efficient heating such as oil heaters or heat pumps, but be careful of gas heaters as these release a lot of water into your house

• don’t be tempted to keep your old fridge as a beer fridge. It is better to have one full fridge than two half empty fridges
   

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Longer Term Wins

• when you are replacing your whiteware, look for the models with the highest number of energy efficient stars.

• if your fridge has been around for a few years, make sure the seals around the doors are still good - if not, get them replaced

• install solar water heating, especially if you are building a new home

• install a heat pump water heater (funding of up to $575 towards the cost including installation is now available through the EECA)

• install a home ventilation system to effectively distribute the heat around your home so that you don’t have any cold spots

• ensure your home is fully insulated - consider roof, walls and under floor insulation, as well as double glazing

• get an energy efficiency audit completed for your building

Useful Links

• EECA energywise

• RightLight for informed choices about lighting

• Consumer have an up to date report on which are the better CFL bulbs to buy
  
   

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Last page update: July 2011