In need to save a buck

What kind of things can I do to my house to consever electricity, water, and gas.

I live in the desert valleys so it’s very humid out there and well over 100 degress

Answer #1

ok; water; turn off tap when brushing teeth. put a ‘sand bag’ in your toilet cisturn, they only cost a couple of pound but they save a fortune! shower instead of bath (unless you have a power shower!!) wash your car with a bucket rather than hose get a water bucket to catch any rain to water plants etc with use a dishwasher rather than wash up (a sink of water holds about 10 litres…a dish washer can only use 12 and you wash up at least 3 x a day) put washing machine on economy wash, it uses less power and less water.

electricity; turn lights off when not in room. turn things off at switch (you do get into a routine of it!) replace light bulbs with energy efficient ones…you can get them sooo cheap and they pay for themselves within a month of having them! fill your empty space in freezer up with paper…the freezer uses more energy to freeze empty space.. don’t leave your comp on when not in use…the fan inside uses loads of electricty! only put the amount of water you need in the kettle, don’t fill it to the top!

gas; turning your c/h down by 1 degree saves 6% on your gas bill! if you need your windows open, you don’t need the heating, turn it off! see if you can get a grant for cavity wall insulation…40% of heat is lost through walls… get lost insulation, another 40% is lost through roof! *double glazing is one of the least efficient ways of saving energy! most heat is lost through ther walls and roof…although you should draft proof windows and doors…

theres’ loads of ways to save energy, most require a bit of effort, but it will save you money…I used to survey peoples propertys for energy efficiency, and saving energy is as much about the environment as it is about your wallet…just most people get motivated by money saving…

try going over to re-useable bags too…if you have kids, use washable nappies (the first disposable nappy ever use still hasn’t decomposed, and won’t do for another 100 years…

go green! for the world as well as your home…for our children and for the atmosphere..

and wow! that’s v v hot! must be horrible! :( *use your microwave where possible rather than gas / electric uses far less energy!

Answer #2

How about you start off not frying ice cream lol! (refers to other thread made by OP)

I agree with most points made by sooitca. Also I heard that just leaving your microwave ON (displaying time) uses a lot of power however I am not sure if this is true or just a myth. Turn your hot water cylinder down a few degrees. Also with electric appliances, most use electricity while on standby so just switch it off at the wall too. In 24 hours a computer uses as much electricity as a TV does in 1 hour. Don’t leave ya TV on if you aren’t watching!

In Chch, NZ we dont have to worry about water its free (unless you use loads and have a farm etc) so not much tips there sorry. Also we don’t use gas its getting less common here.

Transport is also a huge cost. If you have a car (Yes I’m aware its not water gas etc) then make sure of a few things. Do you really really need it? Do you, at any one time have more than 2 people in your car? If so, is it necessary? Sell it and get a scooter. My friend bought one for $1400 brand new. 50cc, can do 65-75kmph with the governer off (easy to get off) and CHEAP rego $70 here per year, car is like $200, CHEAP on fuel, 6 litres gets 150km (12NZ$) and can beat rush hour with so much ease. It’s only really cold if you have T-shirt + shorts or rain. Better yet, use a bicycle. If you have a second car that isnt used much, sell that.

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