Page 33 - TNE WORKBOOK

• (for homeowners only): You could also look at switching to an induction electric cooktop to get off
gas (they are much more efficient and function as well or better). As heating and cooling uses 38% of
our home energy across Australia, and almost 60% in the ACT, non-ducted reverse-cycle systems (heat
pumps) are the most efficient way to heat and cool. Households should turn off gas heating systems,
which are expensive and very inefficient. Replacing a legacy gas ducted heater with a good split system
can save as much as 90% of energy on heating.

Change up your light bulbs

• Replace the lights in your house with LED bulbs!
Lighting consumes
• In a typical family home, by having standard lighting approximately 13% of
rather than LEDs, you can expect to pay about an extra household electrical energy
$500 on your energy bill every year. 24 in Australia and good quality
LEDs last much longer (i.e.
• Check out local Canberra businesses they last years), give off
better quality light, and
Beacon Lighting and Southside Lighting – keep mercury out of landfill.
which have great LED lights you can buy Woohoo!
and then change up yourself on a Saturday
morning.

Buy GreenPower

If you don’t own your home and can’t get solar panels, then there’s another way you can support Australian
renewable energy: by buying GreenPower.

• GreenPower is a government-accredited program that drives extra renewable energy into the grid by
displacing all, or some, of your electricity usage with renewable energy. That means if you buy 100%
GreenPower, every time you switch on a light, use a microwave, watch TV, or simply use your computer,
you’ll have peace of mind knowing that for all the power you use, the equivalent amount will be pulled into
the grid from a 100% renewable energy source.

• The best thing about GreenPower is that it’s additional to the government’s Renewable Energy Target,
so your household will be at the forefront of supporting renewable energy in Australia and driving our
progress towards a zero carbon future.

• The downside is GreenPower is a bit more expensive – it costs an extra 7.5c per kilowatt-hour – [for an
average Canberra home, this equates to roughly the cost of two extra cups of coffee a week (or about $9
extra a week). If you can afford it, it’s a great way to give direct support to Australian renewable energy.
You can also just offset a smaller percentage of your electricity, to get an incremental improvement
without breaking the bank.

• Sign up for GreenPower through ActewAGL’s Green Choice by calling 13 14 93 or visiting the GreenChoice
sign up page here.

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