Energy Saving Tips

Five Simple Steps to Save 10% of Your Home Electricity Use

The air-conditioner uses the bulk of the electricity in a home. A fan uses less than 1/10th the electricity used by an air-conditioner! Use a fan instead of an air-conditioner to keep cool. Save about $55 a month or about $665 a year*.

Use a fan instead of the aircon

Did You Know? The electricity used by an air-conditioner is equivalent to the energy used by about 32 fans!

The lower the temperature setting, the more energy used by your air-conditioner. If you use an air-conditioner, set the temperature at about 25oC. For every degree raised, save about $20 a year*.

set the aircon temperature at 25 degrees celsius

Switch off home appliances at the power socket. Standby power can account for up to 10% of your home electricity use. Do not leave them on standby. Save about $55 a year*.

switch off appliances at the socket

Did You Know? After switching off your appliances (e.g. televisions, computers, printers, VCD, DVD and CD players) with the remote control, many of them continue to draw power.

Choose energy efficient light bulbs (e.g. compact fluorescent lamps). Using a compact fluorescent lamp (9W) instead of an incandescent bulb (40W) can save about $15 per bulb per year*.

use compact fluorescent lamps

Did You Know? Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) use up to 80% less electricity than incandescent light bulbs to produce the same amount of light, and they can last up to 10 times longer! Learn more about fluorescent lamps and CFLs.

Choose an energy-efficient appliance (e.g. air-conditioner. refrigerator) by checking the energy labels. A 4-tick air-conditioner saves you about $355 in electricity bills a year compared to a 1-tick model, and a 4-tick refrigerator saves you about $100 a year over a 1-tick model*. To find energy labeled appliances, check out the database of registered goods.

Check the energy label

Did You Know? The energy label found in all refrigerators and air-conditioners at the point of sale helps you identify and select an energy efficient model that suits your needs. The more ticks, the more energy efficient the model is.

You can download the 10% Energy Challenge Booklet here: download. The booklet contains the energy saving habits that households can practice to lower their energy consumption by 10%.

*Based on average 2010 electricity tariff of $0.2348 per kWh, assuming a single-split, 1000W air-conditioner, a 31W electric fan and 400-litre refrigerator used 365 days a year, and assuming 35W of standby power in a home.

More Energy Saving Tips

Air-conditioner

Close curtains or blinds over windows during the hottest part of the day, or use solar window film, especially for west-facing windows, to keep the house cool.

Consider putting dividers or partitions so that you cool a smaller, more targeted space. The larger the space to be air-conditioned, the more energy needed to cool it.

Run the air-conditioner about an hour before bed and switch to a fan after that. Save about $555 a year**.

Turn off the air-conditioner half an hour earlier using a timer. Save about $45 a year**.

Check the air-conditioner air filter once a month and clean or replace it as necessary so that it runs efficiently. Dirty air filters impede airflow.

Service your air-conditioning units regularly. Besides the air filters, the condition of other components of an air-conditioning unit (such as the refrigerant, pipes and motors) also affects its efficiency.

Avoid using appliances that expel heat (e.g. bar fridge) in an air-conditioned room.

Make a Smart Purchase

Choose the correct size for your air-conditioning unit. Oversized or undersized air-conditioning units can operate inefficiently. To find out the correct size for your air-conditioning unit, check with your air-conditioner retailer.

Refrigerator

Adjust the thermostat in the refrigerator to the recommended setting. Overcooling your refrigerator wastes electricity.

Allow hot food to cool before putting it in the fridge.

Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder.

Do not overload the refrigerator to ensure the cold air can circulate freely. Too many items block air circulation and reduce cooling capabilities.

Do not leave refrigerator door open longer than necessary. Decide what you want before opening the refrigerator door.

Make sure the door shuts tightly. Test by closing the door over a piece of paper so it is half in and half out of the refrigerator. If you can pull the paper out easily, the hinge may need adjustment or the seal may need replacing.

Place the refrigerator away from heat sources such as direct sunlight, cookers and the oven.

Allow some space around the fridge (e.g. 5 centimetres or as recommended by the manufacturer) to allow heat to escape from the compressor and condensing coil.

Switch off the refrigerator when cleaning it to save electricity.

Make a Smart Purchase

Buy the smallest model refrigerator that meets your needs as generally, larger models use more energy to operate.

Consider the need for additional features such as automatic icemakers and through-the-door dispensers, as they increase energy use.

Lighting

Make the most of the natural light available. Use light-colored, loose-weave curtains on your windows to allow daylight to penetrate the room while preserving privacy.

Use lighter colours in areas where you want to be bright, as lighter colours reflect light.

Use light dimmers whenever possible.

Switch the lights off when you leave the room.

Keep the room’s light low when watching television. This saves electricity and also cuts annoying glare from your TV screen.

Dust or clean lamps and fixtures regularly. Dust on lamps and reflectors mean less light and less energy efficiency.

Computer/Home Electronics

Switch off the computer completely when not in use for long periods (e.g. more than 30 minutes). Leaving a desktop (300W) on every day for 8 hours (e.g. overnight) will cost about $15 a month**.

Enable your computer’s energy-saving features, such as switching to hibernation mode after a certain amount of time. Here is a guide to enabling the energy-saving features on your computer.

Switch off the TV set when no one is watching.

Make a Smart Purchase

Consider buying a laptop for your next computer upgrade for general home computing as they use less than half the energy used by desktop computers.

Water Heater

If you have an instantaneous water heater, switch it on before you shower and turn it off after use..

If you have a storage water heater, switch it on about 20 minutes before taking a bath, and switch it off after use. Leaving it on for too much time wastes energy.

Make a Smart Purchase

Choose an instantaneous water heater instead of a storage water heater as it is more energy saving.

Consider installing a solar water heater if you have access to rooftops.

If you are buying a storage water heater, a capacity of 23-27 litres is suitable for a family of 4-6 persons, consider a heat pump water heater which absorbs heat from the room air, thus cooling your home as it heats the water.

Washing Machine

Wash with a full load.

Wash clothes in cold water. It is not really necessary to use the water heater function in our washing machines as our water is warm enough for the wash to be effective.

Fabric conditioner reduces creases which means less ironing time.

Air-dry your clothes rather than use a clothes dryer.

Ironing

Start with items which need lower temperatures and avoid heating and re-heating the iron.

Turn off iron and use residual heat for delicate items.

Cooking

Boil water only when needed or consider using a thermo-flask to keep hot water. Electric air-pots which keep water hot constantly can cost you about $20 a month** in electricity

Do not boil more water than you need.

Cover your pots while cooking. Covered food cooks faster.

Match the size of the pot with the size of the burner as the energy is lost when the heating element is larger than the pot you are using.

Turn electric hotplates off before the food is fully cooked, as the remaining heat can complete the cooking.

Avoid opening the oven door while cooking.

Thermal cooking pots significantly cut down energy used for cooking. The ingredients need only be brought to a boil (up to ten minutes) before being placed in the insulated thermal pot. The retained heat will cook the food without additional heat input from the stove. A meal normally requiring an hour’s worth of cooking can use 80% less energy.

Pressure cookers consume less energy and cook much faster. By cooking food at a higher temperature and pressure, a pressure cooker can save up to two-thirds in cooking time and energy use can be cut by 50-75% compared to conventional methods.