Be a fan of fans
Use a fan instead of air conditioning where possible. They use less energy and operate at a fraction of the running cost of air conditioners. Anne from Energy Institute
Summer and Cooling
Save on your summer cooling bills and you can spend up big on your summer holidays. The tips on this page will help you learn how.
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Re-circulate
For maximum efficiency, set your air conditioner to re-circulate cool air instead of pulling warmer air in from outside. Anne from Energy Institute
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Automate your aircon
Use sleep mode to automatically turn your air conditioning units off as you sleep instead of leaving them on all night and you can save hours of power. Anne from Energy Institute
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Energy efficient fish
Having two tropical aquariums, here are my tips. I line the sides and rear of my tanks with polystyrene for insulation. As a cheap option, you can use the lids of broccoli boxes. Steven from Brisbane
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Empower the kids
Em-Power the KIDS! Remind your kids to switch off lights and appliances. If the next bill is less than the last (or from the same quarter last year) give them the difference in cash! Alison from Castlemaine
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Lighten Up
Heavy cotton sheets might look thin but they can be hot in summer. Try linen instead and save on your air conditioning. Also works for clothes. Anne from Energy Institute
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Close the curtains
Keep curtains and blinds closed when using your air conditioners and your house will stay cooler…not to mention safe against nosy neighbours. Anne from Energy Institute
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Set some rules
Make it a house rules that the aircon only goes on at 30°C or higher (instead of 28°C or higher) and save around 50 days a year worth of aircon. That’s between 2 and 10% of your energy use. Anne from Energy Institute
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Take stop gap measures
When using aircon, make sure all the gaps around doors and windows are sealed to help keep out hot winds and keep in that nice cool air. Anne from Energy Institute
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Horsing around
Put washing on a clothes horse, you can move the washing outside for a while and then easily move your washing inside. Clothes will dry, without the need to turn on the dryer. Emma from Point Cook
