Published: The Daily Telegraph Date: 13 November 2010
Tips: Assessor Jason Boyd.
Source: DECCW
Six households and six businesses embarked on an eight-week challenge to cut their power usage and reduce their carbon footprint. The result: A stunning success
Participants in The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW (DECCW) Save Power Challenge have just completed an eight-week quest to save money, cut down their electricity use and reduce their carbon footprint, with great results.
With expert advice and a range of energy-saving devices to help them, the six NSW householder and six small business participants managed to make massive savings.
The businesses in the Challenge will each save an average of almost $1,670, or 16 per cent each on their annual power bills.
On average, this will reduce their carbon pollution by 9.5 tonnes a year, which equates to 191,927 black balloons of carbon pollution: one balloon represents 50g of carbon pollution. Combined, they will save the equivalent of 1,343,490 black balloons of carbon pollution a year.
Meanwhile, some of the household participants almost halved their electricity consumption and will save on average $1,556, or 52 per cent each on their annual power bills. This will reduce their carbon pollution by 7.4 tonnes a year, which equates to 147,527 black balloons. Combined, they will save the equivalent of 885,166 black balloons of carbon pollution a year.
Most participants were using well above the average for a NSW home of 160,000 black balloons of carbon pollution a year. At the beginning of the Challenge, participants had their energy usage assessed by an energy expert who provided a detailed action plan for them.
Each received a power monitor which provides a real-time reading of how much power is being consumed, as well as kit including various powersaving devices.
Jason Boyd, one of the household energy assessors, says the results show just how easy it is to save power.
A big part of it is about education, he says. Having the power monitor and weekly follow-ups further helped keep the Challenge participants on-track.
Mr Boyd adds: Learning how to heat-proof the home in summer is part of it. Not leaving appliances on standby is another. Switching appliances off at the power point can save $50 to $110 a year.
Renae Dimovski
Renae Dimovski was one of the stand-out participants. Over the course of the Challenge, she reduced her average daily electricity consumption from 47kWh to 24kWh.
One of the main things she changed was hanging clothes out to dry, Mr Boyd says. If you use your dryer for two hours per day, this amounts to about $90 over the quarter.
Joe Glass of Dale-Glass Industries
Among the business participants, Joe Glass, of timber product manufacturing company, Dale-Glass Industries (pictured on the cover), expects to save almost 16 per cent or $1,800 on electricity each year at his Silverwater factory. He will save $500 from changes to office lighting alone.
His total savings equate to 10.35 tonnes of carbon pollution, or more than 200,000 black balloons.
NSW Climate Change and Environment Minister, Frank Sartor, says the Challenge has shown how much power can be saved once households and businesses learn how.
What has been particularly interesting is how much all of the Challenge participants seem to have enjoyed the process, Mr Sartor says.
The result has given us all a great insight into just how much money and power can be saved through improved efficiency.
Save Power is one of many NSW Government programs available to help households and businesses reduce energy use and keep bills down.
Our $150 million Energy Efficiency Strategy includes education, practical support, free retrofits for low income earners, expert help and economic drivers to help NSW become more energy efficient, Mr Sartor adds.
The cost benefits of energy efficiency are clear from the savings on bills that people are making through participating in these programs.
Mr Sartor says NSW rebates to help people switch from electric to more efficient solar, heat pump or gas hot water are saving 127,000 families $17.8 million a year on power bills, while the average saving for small businesses is $1,400 a year.