Appliances
Appliances account for about 17% of energy use in the average Victorian home. Appliances with higher energy and water ratings use less energy and water respectively.
Five top tips for saving energy:
- When not in use, switch off appliances at the wall.
- Set the thermostat of your fridge to the most efficient setting; your fridge should be set at 3° to 5° and your freezer at -13° to -15°.
- Whenever possible, dry your clothes on a clothes line.
- Run your washing machine only on full loads.
- Keep the oven door closed – every time you open the door the temperature in the oven drops by around 5 - 15 degrees
Businesses with drinks fridges can save money and emissions
A simple plug-in timer can save money and greenhouse gas emissions by turning off the fridge overnight.
The fridge temperature only rises a few degrees during the night and quickly returns to normal in the morning.
MEFL has a free program for businesses in the Moreland area.
More information on our our Fridge Timer Program page.
Reduce your electricity bill: get informed
Are lights, computers or televisions left on in your home or workplace? Are people too busy, complacent or simply not the ones paying the bills to care? A great way to educate and facilitate behavioural change is by installing an energy meter. With prominent display to be read at a glance, it is a constant reminder to turn appliances off.
Energy meters can also identify electricity use trends and measure against your average energy use. It is great way to gather meaningful data to verify your bills and identify an ‘operational error’ i.e. things left on.
In a typical office, reliance on electrical equipment and appliances is paramount. However, our computers, printers, fax machines, refrigerators and water-heaters can account for up to one-third of workplace energy consumption.
We have compiled some tips that will not only cut down your offices electricity bill, but ease your burden on the environment.
In the last decade energy use from TVs has changed dramatically. New technologies such as Plasma and LCD TVs, along with increased screen size and standby power have transformed the humble TV from a small appliance to one of a household's biggest energy guzzlers.
Industry experts predict that by 2012 over 90% of new televisions sold will be LCD or plasma types. Newer technologies such as plasma and LCD have been driving a trend towards a larger screen sizes, resulting in a rapid rise in energy consumption.
The increased use of standby power is another important factor in TV energy usage and means that the TV is always drawing energy even when not in use. Appliances such as TVs can spend more than 60% of their time on standby, so simply switching off the TV at the wall can result in a significant reduction in energy use and also electricity costs over a year.
All TVs imported or manufactured since 1st October 2009 are now required to display an energy label which includes its star rating. The star rating is also assessed against an annual energy consumption figure which is based on the same defined usage profile used to assess Minimum Energy Performance Standards.
For more information on your television's energy use, read our How much energy is your TV guzzling? Fact Sheet.
One MEFL member recently borrowed a "Power-Mate" power usage meter from us to discover how much electricity was being guzzled around the home. This is what they uncovered:
"The power meter that I borrowed from MEFL has a paid bonus already. I now know where my standby power is going. I tested out all of my appliances, to see what current they draw when turned off at their switches, or when on standby. There were surprises such as:
Sustainability Advice is a service of the Moreland Solar City project, part of the Australian Government's Solar Cities initiative, led by the Moreland Energy Foundation, in partnership with Moreland City Council, the Brotherhood of St Laurence and Sustainability Victoria.
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Special advice for...
