Sustainability Street
Institute Inc.
228 Kerr Street
Fitzroy VIC 3065
+61 3 9416 4293
+61 3 9417 2859
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energy
Hot Tips!
• Remember that every switch in the home is directly linked to the coal deposits in Gippsland …
• Many species are depending on us to reduce our energy consumption. Their habitat is under threat from the greenhouse effect, which is happens due to our ‘energy addiction.’ Turning down the heater has a direct impact on species protection and biodiversity …
• Heating and hot water make up 80% of the energy use in your home! Now you know where to concentrate your reduction efforts!
• The average home spends $1300 each year on electricity!
Transport
• Bikes do not contribute to the greenhouse effect and are great for hearts!
• Walk, ride a bike or catch public transport. Get yourself timetables for your local public transport and put them on the wall!
• Most car trips are unnecessary trips of less than two kilometres. “If it’s less than four blocks, walk!”
• The more car trips in your street, the less friends you have in the street.
• You can buy hybrid cars now that run mostly on electricity!
• Tuned cars produce less greenhouse gas emissions, as do pumped up tyres.
• Careful driving can reduce pollution by 30%! Reduce sudden braking and acceleration. Remember: there’s not much to be gained by being first to the red lights!
• Small cars use less petrol
• A car can cost up to $10,000 to run per year! Surely it’s cheaper to use the occasional taxi and walk, ride and catch PT
• Going somewhere? Share a lift! Car pool!
• Buy local produce to cut energy (transport) use. Eg: local baked beans or baked beans shipped all the way from Europe?
Home design, renovation and building
• Solar panels can reduce hot water costs by 35% to 65%
• Energy efficient home design can almost remove the need for heating and cooling!
• A skylight saves huge amounts of energy during the day
• Compact fluorescent globes use one eighth of the energy of old style globes. They cost more at first but save money and greenhouse gases in the long run.
• Insulate your roof and keep the summer cool and winter heat inside!
• Insulate exposed hot water pipes
• Windows are huge heat losers. Thick floor length curtains and window pelmets are the best options to save energy. You can also double-glaze the windows.
• Install timing switches and thermostats to reduce the amount of electricity
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Home Heating and Cooling
• Dress up to keep the heater down
• Hot in the summer? Install ceiling fans instead of air conditioners
• Open the curtains on North facing windows on sunny winter days.
• Close the curtains on North facing windows on sunny summer days
• Close doors to separate heated areas from non heated areas (minimise the area to be heated)
• Seal gaps around doors and windows to stop draughts
• Heat living areas to 21°C. Every 1°C increase in temperature is a 15% increase in the bill!
• Deciduous trees in the west of your property let the sun in during winter and provide shade in the summer
• Ensure windows are shaded by either trees or outside awnings in summer
• On a hot day, close all the blinds, curtains, doors and windows
• Cool bedroom and living areas to no less than 24°C in summer
Hot Water
• Hot water can cost $400 every year and can send 5 tonnes of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere
• A three-minute hot shower is all you need. Time yourself!
• Switch off your electric water heater if you are away for three days or more.
• Set the washing machine to cold wash
• Use cold water when washing your hands
• Make sure your hot water thermostat is not set too high
Appliances
• A covered saucepan will cook in a quarter of the time
• Unless you can use a hand mower you probably have too much lawn
• Use the sun to dry your clothes, rather than a dryer
• Only use the dishwasher when it is full. Or do the family hand wash roster!
• Turn off the dishwasher before the drying cycle and leave the door open to let the dishes air dry
• Defrost the fridge every six months
• Keep the fridge between 3°C and 5°C and the freezer between –18°C and -15°C
• Check that the fridge door seals are tight fitting and in place
• Let plenty of air flow around the coils at the back of the fridge. 5cm between the coils and the wall greatly improves efficiency.
• The sun and wind will dry clothes for free! In winter, use a clothes horse inside.
• Check the star rating of appliances: the more stars, the more energy efficient and the cheaper in the long run!
• Turn things off when they are not needed!
• Electric blankets are not good! Sleep in more clothes.
• Turn off TV’s and VCR’s at the unit, rather than using the remote. Huge energy losses are associated with ‘phantom loads’ where remotes and TV’s find out where the other is periodically!
Green Energy
• Buy green power from your energy supplier. This is energy that comes from accredited renewable sources such as wind and solar power.
The Sustainability St project has been building better relationships with each other and building a much better relationship with the natural world are the greatest challenges of human history - Sustainability Street ... a new reason to be neighbours.
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