What you can do now
Switch appliances off at the powerpoint when they're not in use, to save up to 10 percent on your energy bill and 17,000 balloons of greenhouse gas.
Have a look at the appliances at home...
For each action you have or will implement in your home, collect it by adding it to the My Actions panel (right), to see the difference you can achieve.
Action:
Turn off the extra fridge
A fridge uses the most electricity of any appliance in the house. If you have an extra fridge or freezer that you only use for special occasions, switch it off until you need it.
By switching off your second fridge, you can save up to 14,600 balloons of greenhouse gas and up to $87 a year.
Action:
Switch appliances off at the wall
Most appliances continue to use "standby power" when they're switched off by the remote control, sometimes as much when they're on.
Switch appliances off at the power point when they're not in use to save up to 10 percent on your energy bill and up to 7,700 balloons of greenhouse gas a year.
What else you can do
Think small
There may be times when you can use small, portable electric appliances instead of your electric oven, griller or hotplates for cooking. For example, a microwave uses less energy than the stove or oven, and a toaster uses a third of the energy of your oven griller.
Set the right temperature
You could be wasting energy by setting the temperature of your fridge or freezer too low. Fridges should operate at around 3ºC to 4ºC and freezers at -15ºC to -18ºC. Even a small change of 1ºC can increase your energy consumption by up to 5 percent.
Check the seals
Door seals on ovens, fridges and freezers need to be a tight fit to work effectively. They should hold a piece of paper in place when the door is closed. If the paper slides out easily, the door is probably leaking air.
Use the economy cycle
If you don't have a full load for your washing machine, dryer or dishwasher, use the half-load or economy program to save water and electricity. Water-efficient dishwashers are also usually energy-efficient, as heating water is a major part of their energy use.
Adjust your computer screen
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) computer monitors are rapidly replacing traditional Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors on computers. An LCD monitor uses around half as much greenhouse gas as a CRT monitor. By lowering the brightness on an LCD screen, you can cut emissions to a quarter.
Match the hotplate or burner to the task
When you're cooking, it's important to pick the right pot for the job. If you match the size of the pot to the hotplate or burner, you'll use less energy heating up food.
My Actions
Select an action and see how much green house gas you will save this year.
YOU SAVED:
