Every one of us can save money by using energy wisely in the home. In Victoria alone, enough energy is wasted each year to keep the MCG lights running for 500 years!
Saving energy in the home can be so easy. This booklet shows you how. At a glance, you will see typical running costs for hot water, heating and household appliances. There are lots of handy hints which will make a big difference to your household energy costs.
Using less energy also means less pollution and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. So start now and save energy, the environment and hundreds of dollars on energy bills.
The Centre can help with enquiries on any energy related issue from house design, appliance selection and energy usage, to energy alternatives and student resource materials.
You could save on costs if you:
And remember:
You could save on these costs if you:
And remember:
When purchasing a refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, dryer, washing machine or air conditioner, check the Energy Rating label and save yourself hundreds of dollars on energy costs over the lifetime of the appliance. The more stars, the more energy efficient.
Costs of other kitchen appliances are included in "Other Fuels, Other Appliances".
You would spend more if you:
Are careless about refrigerator use and maintenance, such as:
| You could save on these costs if you:
You would spend more if you: |
You could save on these costs if you:
You would spend more if you: |
You could save on these costs if you:
And remember:
Protect your family and your home from electrical accidents
by installing safety switches in the home. These switches will
cut off (or "trip") power to a circuit if there is an
electrical fault or leak. Contact a registered electrical contractor
or your local electricity distribution business for further advice.
You would spend more if you:
And remember:
Electric blankets should be inspected for safety at the start
of each winter. Contact the manufacturer directly, or take it
to an electrical appliance repair centre.
You could save on these costs if you:
or
You would spend more if you:
For each room in our room by room guide we have made the running cost calculations using the most common types of electric and gas appliances.
Compare these costs with the "You could save" and "You would spend more" lists and you will see how you can make savings on energy costs.
But what if you use other fuels or other appliances?
The information on the following pages should help you work out your likely costs over the winter quarter. You may need to refer to the room by room guide to make cost comparisons.
WINNER tariff
WINNER is an electricity tariff which allows all electric appliances to be used at cheaper rates between 11 pm - 7 am on weekdays, and 24 hours a day on weekends. Costs are up to 4 times cheaper than the normal domestic (GD) tariff.
Appliances used outside these hours will cost approximately 1.4 times the GD tariff to run.
Further information on WINNER is available from you local electricity distribution business.
Space heating
The cost to heat Bill and Mary's living room is $98.00 per quarter.
Natural gas space heaters, off-peak electric storage heaters and high efficiency (4-6 star rated) reverse cycle air conditioners have similar running costs to this figure
Lower efficiency (1-3 star rated) reverse cycle air conditioners, space heaters using LPG and slow combustion wood heaters cost about 50% more (so multiply this cost by 1.5)
Heating oil is about double this cost (multiply by 2.0)
Portable kerosene heaters supply heat at two to four times this cost, depending on the price of kerosene (so multiply the cost by 2.0 to 4.0)
Portable and fixed electric heaters which run on the day rate tariff, and pot belly wood heaters, supply heat at approximately 3 times this cost (multiply the cost by 3.0)
An open fire provides heat at about eight times the cost (so multiply by 8.0)
For wood bought at $160.00 per tonne
Central heating
Bill and Mary use a space heater to heat their living room. This costs them $98 per quarter. If they used central heating to heat their entire house, their costs would increase.
In-slab heating (electric or hydronic) costs up to twice this amount, if kept at about 18 C.
Natural gas ducted heating using a high efficiency (4 - 6 stars) furnace, and hydronic heating with radiators using natural gas also costs up to twice this amount.
Natural gas ducted heating using a standard efficiency furnace (1 - 3 stars), electric radiant ceiling heating and ducted reverse cycle air conditioning cost up to three times this amount.
Ducted or hydronic heating using LPG costs up to 4 times this amount.
Remember, central heating costs vary widely, depending on the temperature set, the area heated, the length of time a system is on for, and the efficiency of the model. (For instance, a high efficiency ducted system with a zoning option could save Bill and Mary up to $300 a year in running costs compared with a standard efficiency system used to heat their whole house).
Other factors
Although running costs of heaters are important, other factors can affect the overall cost of heating.
Sleeping or formal living areas often do need to be heated to the same temperature, or at the same time, as informal living areas. If you are considering purchasing a central heating system, look for one which can be "zoned" to heat different areas of your home at different times. This can easily halve your central heating costs.
If, for instance, you have an area that is heated only for short periods, the purchase cost of your heater could be far more than the running costs. In such areas, a portable heater may be a more practical alternative than a fixed space heater.
Different types of heaters provide comfort in different ways. In a large draughty room a radiant heater which warms you directly will be more effective and economical than a fan type heater which tends to heat the air before the person. Radiant heating is especially useful in bathrooms.
Hot water
Bill and Mary's average hot water cost is $60.00 per quarter.
Standard efficiency natural gas and electric offpeak (Y8 tariff) systems are similar in running cost to the above figure
High efficiency natural gas and New Dimension electric offpeak (Y6 tariff) are cheaper to run (multiply the above cost or those in the room guide by 0.8)
LPG hot water is up to twice the cost of the standard gas or offpeak units (so multiply the cost by 2.0)
Peak tariff (GD) electric hot water systems (instantaneous and continual reheat) are about three times the cost of offpeak (Y8) electric hot water (so multiply the cost by 3.0)
Cost of briquette hot water depends on equipment design and use but is, at best, slightly more expensive than offpeak electric hot water (multiply the cost by 1.25 or more)
A solar hot water system will reduce annual costs on average by 60-65% * saving an average family up to $150 a year
*In northern Victoria, this saving can be up to 75%
Cooking
Bill and Mary's average cost for cooking is $18.00 per quarter.
For a smaller household the cost would be $15.00 while for a larger household the cost would be closer to $25.00
Conventional electric cooking costs up to 50% more than natural gas (multiply the cost by 1.5)
LPG cooking costs up to twice that of natural gas (multiply the cost by 2.0)
However, microwave ovens, electric frying pans and deep fryers cost about 8 cents an hour. When used for short periods, they are more economical to run than an electric or gas stove. Using a microwave for most of their cooking saves Bill and Mary up to $6.00 a quarter
Cooling
The cost to cool Bill and Mary's living room with a fan is $3.40 per quarter.
Refrigerated air conditioning will cost around $44.00 per quarter while an evaporative cooler will cost $15.00
A ducted evaporative system to cool the whole house will cost up to $44 a quarter
A ducted refrigerative system will cost up to $109 a quarter
Appliances that hit the hip pocket
Some other seemingly innocent appliances can have surprisingly large effects on energy bills. These include:
You can save energy, money and our environment.
Look for an Energy Rating label!
Energy Rating labels will help you to buy an energy efficient model which could save you hundred of dollars over the lifetime of the appliance.
Every Energy Rating label has from 1 to 6 stars marked on a red or blue band. The more stars you see the less energy you use, and the more money you will save.
They can be found on all:
How saving energy helps reduce the Greenhouse Effect.
Almost all of the energy we use, whether for heating, cooking or transport, contributes to the Greenhouse Effect. Energy sources such as coal, petroleum and natural gas produce CO2 (carbon dioxide) when burnt to provide us with useful energy.
By wasting energy in our daily activities we contribute unnecessary quantities of CO2 to the atmosphere.
What you can do.
Here are some things you can do to help reduce CO2 emissions.
Any fossil-fuel based energy you save will help reduce the Greenhouse Effect.
Victorians contribute over 80 million tonnes CO2 to the atmosphere per year. This is equivalent to the combined weight of 210,000 jumbo jets, or about 18 tonnes for every person in the State.
Building or renovating?
If you are planning to build or renovate your home, a House Plan Energy Consultation is a must. It will help you to save thousands of dollars in energy bills, and make your home more comfortable all year round. Bring in or mail your plans to the Energy Information Centre. Trained advisors will discuss all aspects of designing and building an energy efficient home, such as:
A House Plan assessment takes approximately one hour and costs only $50. To make an appointment, phone (03) 9412 6886 or 1800 136 322 for country callers.
Heating and cooling advisory service
Choosing a new heating or cooling system can be a complex and difficult task. At the Energy Information Centre, we can help you to identify and select the most appropriate heating and cooling system for your needs.
Advisors will discuss your requirements, go through the heating and cooling options available, and suggest the most energy efficient and cost-effective system for your home.
A consultation takes around half an hour and costs $30. Phone us on (03) 9412 6886 or 1800 136 322 (country callers only), to make an appointment.
Energy saving thermometer
On average we spend over 80% of our home energy costs on hot water, refrigeration, heating and cooling. Use the energy saving thermometer, and save up to $100 on energy bills every year. It has all the correct temperature settings to run your appliances efficiently, saving energy and money.
Drop in to the Energy Information Centre and pick up your thermometer for just $4.00. If you would like it posted to you, send a cheque or money order for $5.00, payable to "Energy Victoria", Energy Information Centre, 115 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy 3065.
EnergyCard
EnergyCard is a credit card with preferential rates and terms, that can be used to purchase energy efficient products. You can use it to buy and install solar water heating.
You'll soon be able to purchase other energy efficient products including home insulation, double glazing and high efficiency heat pumps.
You can apply for EnergyCard through distributors of approved energy efficient products such as solar water heater distributors. Your distributor will tell you about the special terms that apply to EnergyCard - terms that are much more favourable than normal credit. Approval should take less than 24 hours and then you'll be able to make purchases straight away which will later be billed to you.
The EnergyCard is an initiative of the Commonwealth Department of Primary Industries and Energy and managed by the Australian Guarantee Corporation Limited (AGC).
For more details about EnergyCard and the names of your nearest approved energy efficient product distributors please call 1800 803 499. It's a free call and it's open seven days a week.
Other services
There are a range of other services available offering financial advice or assistance to energy users. For more information on Energy concessions for gas, electricity and LPG accounts; Life Support concessions or the Energy Relief Grant Scheme, please ring the Energy Information Centre on (03) 9412 6886 or 1800 136 322 (country callers only).
Energy Victoria, the author, publisher and any other person responsible for preparing these guideline do not accept responsibility for the accuracy of the information when applied to any individual situation.
Energy Information Centre
Telephone: (03) 9412 6886 Toll-free 1800 136 322
Open 9.00 am - 5.00 pm weekdays
The Energy Information Centre is a service provided by Energy Victoria, an independent Statutory Authority. Drawing on information available from Government sources, research organisations and private enterprise, the Energy Information Centre provides practical advice on all aspects of domestic energy efficiency and renewable energy applications.
Whether you are a student, architect, home buyer/builder or just interested in saving on your home energy bills, you will get worthwhile advice and information at the Energy Information Centre.
115 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065. Tel (03) 9412 6886, Country Callers 1800136 322, Fax (03) 9412 6887
June 1995