There has been a lot of talk recently about climate change and the effect of global warming and the effect it will have on our environment and homes.
Sydneysiders will take group action this month when they collectively turn off their lights for an hour at 7:30 p.m. on 31st March, but there are plenty of less drastic actions householders can do to reduce their contribution to global warming.
Each year a typical home will pump approximately 11 tonnes of carbon dioxide out into the atmosphere, causing damage to the ozone layer. This can be reduced simply by switching to compact fluorescent bulbs, turning lights off when you don't need them and turning appliances off completely (leaving them on `standby' can chew through 10 per cent of your electricity bill).
The Australian Environmental Labelling Association (AELA) has compiled a short list of actions you can take every day to save both energy and money around the house. The list also shows the effect your actions will have over a year's time.
Did you know -
| By... | Over a Year You Could Save... |
| Turning your heating thermostat down by 1°C | Approximately 10% off your heating bill |
| Turning off lights when not being used | Up to 20% off your lighting bill |
| Taking a shorter shower (4 minutes) | Over one-third off your hot-water heating bill |
| Use draught stoppers under doors | Approximately 5% off your heating bill |
| Switch off infrequently used appliances | Up to 80% of the energy used |
| Air-dry clothes instead of using the drier | Approximately $20 in electricity |
| Unplug and recycle the second fridge | $50-$80 in electricity |
For more information, visit www.aela.org.au.
