Kempsey Shire Council partnered with Adam Corrigan from Your Energy Friend to present a three-part webinar series on sustainable energy use.
Read on for insights from the second webinar in the series.
Webinar two: energy efficiency in your home and standby power
The second webinar in the series, held on 8 November 2023, focused on energy efficiency and stand by power in your home.
The two biggest energy users in our home are hot water, and heating and cooling.
One of the best things you can do in your own home is to seal it up! Try to think of your home as a sealed envelope with no gaps or holes that let air pass through (either in or out).
For example:
- Seal around your internal and external doors – use draught stoppers and door seals where possible.
- Block off all older style air vents in your walls.
- If you have existing floorboards, look at sub-floor insulation. One of the best products is an expandable spray foam that will fully seal gaps from the underside of your flooring.
- If you are building a new home, make sure you have insulation in your walls, ceiling and floors (if applicable).
- Stop any airflow around windows by taping up or replacing and install curtains or window coverings with pelmets if possible. Make sure your curtains reach all the way to the ground.
- Do you have a chimney? Purchase and install a chimney seal during periods of no use.
- Your exhaust fans in your bathrooms are a huge hole in your home! There are simple products that will seal these holes while the fans are not in use eg. Draft Stoppa
- Are you thinking of upgrading your windows? Double glazing is cheaper than it used to be - there are new, cheaper products available now called UPVC Windows.
- One of the best things you can do is create external shading whether this be a structure, verandah or native tree.
As heating our water for showers and baths is one of the biggest energy consumers in our home, it's important to implement water saving behaviours (which reduces the amount of water that needs to be heated!) such as using water efficient shower heads.
Standby Power
Standby power, also known as 'vampire power ', could be costing you hundreds of dollars per year. Things in your home that use standby power include:
- Digital video recorders
- Wireless routers
- Printers
- Microwaves
- Smart Speakers
- Anything with a standby light or LED display
Simple appliances such as toasters and kettles do not use great amounts of standby power.
One way to combat this is to use standby power boards that automatically turn off the power when not in use. You can also borrow a 'Save power kit' from the Kempsey Library which has a power monitor that can tell you how much power each appliance in your home is using.
Did you find this information useful?
You might also like the insights from our first webinar on solar power: Webinar One - Solar power and battery power for your home
