DarwinLife | Home and Outdoor Living
HOW TO SAVE ON
YOUR POWER AND WATER Energy and water consumption is now, more than ever, at the forefront of community concern.
122 December 2012 | DarwinLife Magazine
Changing behaviour has become essential making small adjustments will soon become part of your daily routine and make a significant difference to your electricity and water bills. Here are some steps which can be taken to reduce your energy and water consumption. Electricity The biggest power cost for most Territorians is the air conditioner. You can reduce its impact by running it on 24ËšC or above and using the fan as well. This reduces humidity, cools the air and uses less power than an air conditioner going solo on a lower temperature setting. Fans are a good choice for cooling. They are relatively cheap to run and produce less greenhouse gas than air conditioners. Maintaining your air conditioner regularly and keeping the filters clean will also assist to run it more efficiently. Standby power is another factor which can make up for a large portion of your energy use.
When on standby, your appliances are still performing auxiliary functions like showing the time. Just by being plugged-in, appliances may account for up to 10% of an electricity bill. Switch power off at the wall when not in use to significantly reduce electricity consumption. Water Territorians use more than double the amount of water than elsewhere in Australia. Despite the abundant wet season rains, water storage is limited in the Top End. High rates of evaporation during the dry season impact dam water storage significantly. Around 65 per cent of water used is outside the home. If we reduce this amount, it will go a long way towards conserving this precious resource. Sweep paths and driveways rather than hosing them down. Turn off automated sprinkler systems during the wet season Use a trigger nozzle on hoses. Wash boats and cars down on the lawn.