Home Energy Guzzlers

Author: Brodie Norris

A number of appliances around your home may be consuming too much energy, making your energy bills (and carbon footprint) higher than they should be! There are three main appliances that are responsible for the majority of people's energy costs, but with a few simple ideas you could notice big savings in your energy bills:

The Refrigerator

Your refrigerator is running all day, so it isn't hard to understand why it is often the biggest consumer of electricity in the home. If you have more than one refrigerator or freezer, then you are doubling this cost.

Turn off unused or rarely used fridges like the drinks fridge, and reassess your need to have a nuclear winter's supply of food stored in the spare freezer in the garage. Economies of buying in bulk could be eroded by the astronomical running costs of keeping surplus food frosty.
Position your refrigerator or freezer in a general living space that is heated and cooled. The fridge's efficiency is compromised by the extreme heat and cold it may experience in the shed or even in the laundry.
Let your fridge breathe! A tightly enclosed (less than 50mm either side, and 100mm at the back and top) fridge is much less efficient if it were well ventilated. So give your fridge a bit of space and it is likely to run less.
Ensure doors seal tightly and are not cracked, broken, or hard. Have a handyman or appliance repairer replace worn seals to potentially halve running costs.
Older fridges are invariably inefficient fridges. Refrigeration technology has come a long way, and although the sensual curves of your retro fridge may appeal, it is likely to be costing you a bomb. Don't just chuck your old fridge to the tip though; older models are likely to have CFCs in their refrigerant which can leak into the atmosphere if disposed of incorrectly. Avoid an ozone hole and see if your local council offers a disposal service.
If you must hang on to your beer fridge ensure it's kept full. A fridge filled to around 80% capacity is most efficient as 'coolth' is stored in the mass of the products inside. If you can't afford beer, filled water bottles work just as well.

Heating and Cooling

Heating and cooling the home is one of the most energy intensive activities. The larger the heating or cooling system, the greater the cost. Whether you're heating and cooling is electric, gas or some other method there are ways to reduce your reliance on mechanical systems while still maintaining comfortable temperatures inside.

Don't heat the outdoors! Your heating and cooling is going to be running eternally if your house is not adequately sealed and insulated. Ensure all windows and doors are weather stripped, and wall vents, exhaust fans etc are sealed or fitted with dampers. The next step is insulation. Provide insulation to ceiling space, walls and under floor if possible. The insulation will protect your internal air from the outside elements.
Install sun shading devices or awnings to block out intense West sun and to sheild from Northern summer sun.
Consider high performance window treatments like double glazing or tinted glass to keep internal temperatures stable.
Use natural ventilation whenever possible. When outdoor temperatures are reasonable, opening up doors and windows and letting fresh air in will both help you to feel refreshed and alert and keep your home comfortable without the use of mechanical systems.
Put on a jumper or slip on some shorts. Let the seasons dictate your outfits and you may find you can turn the heater off sooner in winter or go without the air conditioner in summer. It's also a good idea to slightly lower the thermostat setting in winter (around 18°C) and raise it slightly higher in summer (24-26°C). Doing this will reduce your demand on the air-conditioning and save you money.

Hot Water System

Many hot water systems are far from efficient. In larger families, a storage tank is a reasonable solution, but the growing number of smaller families means lots of households have a couple of hundred litres of hot water just sitting there waiting to be used. Combine this with poorly insulated tanks and pipes and that is a lot of energy wasted!

Use the power of the sun by changing your hot water system to a gas boosted solar model which can cut your water heating bill by up to 60%!
Avoid turning on mixer taps in the halfway position as this will use hot water.
Fitting water saving shower heads and speedy showers will also reduce your hot water use. Up to half your household's hot water use is from the shower, so cutting back could make a big difference to your bills.
Have a plumber reduce the temperature of your hot water to the lowest legal limit.
Have pipes and the tanks insulated to conserve heat.

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