Easy Ways to Save Energy at Home

Taking control of your energy use and bills is easy. Discover what you can do to save energy and manage your energy bills.

Ways to save energy at home

• In winter, unshade windows and let the sun shine into your home for free heating.
• In summer, use shading eg external blinds, curtains or deciduous trees, to keep your home cool. Adjustable shading can provide shading in summer without blocking the sun in winter.
• In summer set your cooling appliance’s thermostat to between 24^oC to 27^oC or as high as is comfortable. In winter, set the thermostat to 18^oC to 21^oC or as low as is comfortable. For every 1^oC lower in summer and higher in winter, the appliance’s running costs can increase by 10%.
• If using a portable heater such as an oil, column or fan heater, only heat the rooms you’re using as these heaters can be very expensive to run.
• Install a water efficient shower head and take shorter showers (around 4 minutes). Water heating accounts for 25% of energy use in a typical home.
• Turn off second fridges and freezers eg bar fridges when not required.  
• Set your fridge’s temperature to between 3^oC and 5^oC and your freezer to between -15^oC and -18^oC.
• Wash clothes in cold water where possible and dry clothes on a clothesline or clothes airer rather than a dryer. 

Ways to manage your energy bill

• Find out more about energy saving from the South Australian government’s Energy Advisory Service or calling 8204 1888 or 1800 671 907 (Freecall^TM from fixed lines only).  If you are building a new home or renovating you can also find out about energy efficient home design.
• Ask the Council’s Service Centre or Library staff which energy saving guides and brochures they have available.
• Borrow a do-it-yourself Home Energy Toolkit from our library and complete a home energy audit. The toolkit’s simple step-by-step process will help you understand and reduce your household’s energy consumption.
• Look for the best energy deal for you by visiting the Australian Government’s price comparison website Energy Made Easy or call 1300 585 165. 
• Find out if you are eligible for a concession
• Talk to your energy provider about spreading your payments. Paying your energy bill in instalments can help you to manage your budget and avoid getting a large quarterly bill.

Why is energy saving important?

Many households in South Australia are concerned with rising energy prices. If the demand for energy increases, more infrastructure is required with costs passed on to households. By saving energy, the need to provide additional infrastructure can be reduced.

Additionally, Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions per person are among the highest in the developed world. By using less energy, you can help to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions and help the environment.

City of Burnside is a participating in the South Australian government’s Energy Partners Program assisting households to save energy.

To view how energy is used in the home visit the Your Home website.