THOMPSON SUSTAINABLE HOMES CONTINUES TO PROVE THAT REAPING THE BENEFITS OF ELITE ENVIRONMENTAL PERFOMANCE DOES NOT MEAN COMPROMISING YOUR DESIGN VISION

Sustainable Homes Helpful Tips

There are a lot of things you can do in your everyday life that contribute in a positive way to reducing the amount of energy and water you use in your home. Here are some helpful ideas and articles to start you off on the right track.

Energy – you can make a real difference

Cutting your power bill

Sometimes opening your electricity bill can be a bit of a shock, especially if it’s higher than normal.
Power bills can vary considerably from one quarter to another. Here are just two examples of the
savings you can make by reducing the amount of time you use appliances by just one hour a day:

1. 1. Running a 3HP (8000W) air conditioner 300 days a year, for 10 hours a day will cost around $2307 per year. But by reducing the amount of time you run your air conditioner by one hour aday you will save around $230 a year.
2. Running a triple bar (2400W) heater 91 days a year for eight hours a day will cost around $336 per year. By reducing the amount of time you run your heater by one hour a day you will save around $42 per year. 

A few other simple things you can do to cut to your power bill are:

1.  Keep your appliances in good working order. For example, if the door seal on your fridge or freezer is faulty, it’s like leaving the door open.
2.  Clean your air conditioner filters regularly. It is important that your air conditioners are fully charged with refrigerant and are the right size for the rooms you want them to cool. Be sure that rooms you are air conditioning are properly sealed – make sure windows and doors are closed.
3. Check that your solar hot water booster element is turned off when it’s not needed. Also, make sure your thermostat is working correctly.
4. Be sure that your spa or pool timer is set correctly and working properly.
5. Consider the way you use your appliances. For example, do you really need to use your clothes dryer when it’s not raining? Do you need to sleep with the air conditioner on every night?

Ready reckoner for electrical appliances

You pay for the power you use. This is how to calculate how much your appliances are costing you to run:

1. 1. Check the wattage on the appliance, which is usually printed on a small label attached to the appliance. (Appliances with thermostats (T), like ovens and fridges, don’t use their full wattage all the time. To work out how much power they are likely to consume, halve the wattage (W) and use this number for the next step.)
2. Multiply the wattage by the average number of hours the appliance is used over the period you want to check. Then divide by 1000 and you will have the number of kilowatt hours you are using.
3. Multiply the number of kilowatt hours by 19.23 cents (the current domestic tariff).
4. Remember that there is also a set charge of 37.92 cents each day for domestic consumption, regardless of the number of kilowatt hours.

The following guide tells you the average wattage and cost in cents per hour for some common appliances.
Those marked with (T) have a thermostat.

• Air conditioner (T) .75 HP = 2250W = 21.63 cents/hour
• Air conditioner (T) 1 HP = 2500W = 24.03 cents/hour
• Air conditioner (T) 1.5 HP = 3400W = 32.69 cents/hour
• Air conditioner (T) 2.5 HP = 7000W = 67.30 cents/hour
• Air conditioner (T) 3HP = 8000W = 76.92 cents/hour
• Bore 1HP = 750W = 14.42 cents/hour
• Ceiling fan = 80W = 1.53 cents/hour
• Chest freezer (T) = 100W = 0.96 cents/hour
• Clothes dryer = 2500W = 48.07 cents/hour
• Computer = 250W = 4.80 cents/hour
• Dishwasher = 2400W = 46.15 cents/hour
• Fridge (small) (T) = 50W = 0.48 cents/hour
• Fridge (1 door manual) (T) = 75W = 0.72 cents/hour
• Fridge (2 door auto defrost) (T) = 200W = 1.92 cents/hour
• Fridge (2 door frost free) (T) = 230W = 2.21 cents/hour
• Grill = 1800W = 34.61 cents/hour
• Hair dryer = 1000W = 19.23 cents/hour
• Heater (single bar) = 1200W = 23.07 cents/hour
• Heater (double bar) = 1800W = 34.61 cents/hour
• Heater (triple bar) = 2400W = 46.15 cents/hour
• Iron = 1000W = 19.23 cents/hour
• Kettle = 2400W = 46.15 cents/hour
• Light (bulb) = 100W = 1.92 cents/hour
• Light (fluorescent) = 36W = 0.69 cents/hour
• Microwave oven = 800W = 15.38 cents/hour
• Oven (T) = 1100W = 10.57 cents/hour
• Pool pump = 1000W = 19.23 cents/hour
• Radio = 100W = 1.92 cents/hour
• Stereo = 150W = 2.88 cents/hour
• Stove element (small) = 1250W = 24.03 cents/hour
• Stove element (large) = 1800W = 34.61 cents/hour
• Television = 250W = 4.80 cents/hour
• Toaster = 1500W = 28.84 cents/hour
• Vacuum cleaner = 500W = 9.61 cents/hour
• Washing machine = 900W = 17.30 cents/hour

Taken from a number of sources, these costs are a guide only. Actual costs may vary.

Attack the biggest energy-users first

Before we get to the tips on specific appliances, remember one simple thing: You'll save more electricity by dealing with the biggest electricity-guzzlers rather than worrying about items that don't use much electricity.

Obsessing about whether it's better to boil a cup of water on an electric burner or in a microwave, or whether you wear out your lights quicker by turning them off rather than keeping them on, is a waste of time and misses the point. Such trivia won't make a dime's worth of difference in your electric bill. It's the bigger things that matter. With that in mind, you'll first want to address the big energy users in your home first, such as your:

• Heating
• Air Conditioning
• Lighting   (if you're not already using compact fluorescents, aka CFL's)
• Clothes Washer
• Clothes Dryer
• Refrigerator (if it was made before 2001)
• Water Heater

Here's how much various strategies can save you.