Resident help sheet
There are lots of ways you can reduce the money you need to spend at home whilst reducing your impact on the environment.
Reduce your energy costs in winter
– Let the sun in during the day and close your blinds or curtains towards the evening.
– Only heat the rooms you are using.
– Add door snakes along any doors where there are gaps.
– Move your heater louvres so they point towards the floor.
– Set your heater to the lowest temperature that is comfortable – 1 degree lower can reduce running costs by 10 per cent.
– If your electricity is not on a flat rate, consider using most of your heating during off peak times (10am – 3pm).
– Electric blankets cost more to run than small heaters. Hot water bottles can be an effective and cheap way to stay warm.
Reduce your energy costs in summer
– If you are using a split system cooler, make sure you close all external doors and windows and close internal doors for rooms that don’t need cooling. Use door snakes to keep the cool air in.
– Aim to set the temperature between 24-27 degrees to reduce costs – 1 degree higher can reduce costs by 10 per cent.
– Switch off unnecessary appliances which generate heat e.g. televisions.
– Ensure fans are switched to summer mode.
– Remove floor rugs to expose tiles/floorboards.
– Close blinds and curtains before the sun hits.
– Set aircon on a timer to turn on at the right time if you’re out of the house.
– Fans are the cheapest cooling appliance to run at 3c-5c per hour.
– If your electricity is not on a ‘flat rate’ consider using the majority of cooling from 1am-6am or from 10am-3pm in off-peak times.
Save money and the environment through your lighting use
– Use sensor lights in outdoor areas and plug-in night lights in hallways to limit lighting costs by 20 per cent.
– Letting natural light in during the day can reduce your lighting costs by 50 per cent.
Save money and the environment in your kitchen, laundry and bathroom
When finding the right place for your fridge and freezer:
– Do not put them near a source of heating.
– Check that they don’t back onto a wall that gets direct sunlight.
– Check that there is a gap between the back of the fridge or freezer and the wall to allow air circulation.
– Set your fridge temperature between 3-5 degrees and set your freezer temperature between -15 to -18 degrees.
– Let warm food cool down to room temperature before storing it in your fridge or freezer.
– Regularly check the seals on your fridge, freezer and oven, clean the coils at the back of your fridge, and defrost your freezer.
– Microwaving your food is more energy efficient than cooking it in the oven.
– Adding boiling water from your kettle to the pots on your stovetop is more energy efficient than heating water on your stovetop.
– Always try to dry your clothes on the clothesline or clothes racks before using a dryer.
– If you are going to purchase a new appliance look for ENERGY STAR certified appliances and compare the ENERGY STAR labels to find the highest rating
– Use this website to calculate running costs of appliances: https://calculator.energyrating.gov.au/
– Only run your dishwasher or washing machine when you have a full load and check to see if you have an ‘Eco’ setting
– Reduce the amount of hot water heating you use by:
– Washing your hands with cold water
– Setting your washing machine to a cold wash (which uses 30 per cent less electricity than a hot wash)
– Limiting time spent in the shower (reducing showers by a couple of minutes can reduce electricity bills by up to $100 per year)
– If your toilet has a duel flush button, select the half flush
– Leaking taps or toilet cisterns increase water bill costs
– A tap dripping just two drops per second can lose 10,000 litres of water per year (report a leaking tap using our online non-urgent maintenance form: https://havenhomesafe.org.au/renters/maintenance)
Small changes you can make to save money and the environment
– Switch off lights when you leave a room.
– Switch off all smaller appliances at the wall instead of leaving them on standby.
– Purchase power boards with their own power switch to plug into hard-to-reach power points.
– Put your computer to sleep instead of leaving it on the lockscreen.
– Turn down the brightness on your computer or TV to save power.
Instead of buying expensive chemicals for cleaning, find recipes online and use natural products such as:
– Pure soap
– Borax
– Bicarbonate of soda
– White vinegar
– Washing soda
– Lemon juice
Sustainable practice in your garden
– Water your garden early in the morning or late in the afternoon and use mulch on your garden beds to reduce the amount of water you need.
– Check your local water restrictions.
– Use buckets when it rains to decrease the amount of water you need for gardening.
– Sort all rubbish items into the correct bins – see your local council website for recycling guides.
– Take off caps and lids and dispose of them in the rubbish before putting bottles and containers in recycling bins.
– Take your own reusable bags shopping instead of using plastic ones from stores.
– Do your own composting or build a worm farm to reduce the amount of waste going into landfill.
– Food scraps, lawn clippings and organic matter can be added to compost bins.
– Compost creates liquid fertiliser that can be used on garden beds to feed plants.
– Planting veggie gardens can help cut down on grocery bills.
– Having indoor plants naturally purifies your air and removes carbon monoxide.
Protecting your home from condensation and mould
Condensation can occur when two different temperatures meet. For example – you have the heater on in your apartment and this air of the room meets the cooler temperate of glass on your window. Or you have a hot shower and the steam in the air meets the cooler temperate of your walls. A lack of ventilation can make this worse (not turning on the exhaust fan in the bathroom).
– Dampness in your house can cause mould, but these situations can usually be managed and resolved.
– Always use your exhaust fan in the bathroom or laundry when using hot water or open the windows.
– Ensure proper ventilation by opening windows when using your dryer
– Keep lids on pans during cooking and use your rangehood or kitchen exhaust fans to avoid unnecessary steam
– Wipe surface moisture off your windows, windowsills, glass and tiles as soon as you notice it accumulating
You can effectively treat mould with the following ingredients in your house:
– 2 x teaspoons of tea tree oil in a spray bottle with 2 x cups of water. Shake well.
– Mix a solution of 80% vinegar to 20% water in a spray bottle – leave for 20 minute and sponge clean with water
– DO NOT USE BLEACH – This only makes the mould look like it has been removed, but it doesn’t effectively remove it
Did you know:
– You could produce half a litre of water vapour overnight from breathing
– You could produce more than two litres of water vapour from a 15-minute shower
– You could produce three litres of water vapour per hour from using your dishwasher or washing machine on one hot cycle
– You could produce 10 litres of water vapour per hour using your dryer for one cycle
Help paying your electricity bill
- This website helps you to compare your electricity rates and plans and provides advice on how to change providers if your electricity increases: Victorian Energy Compare
- If you have a concession card, you can have a concession applied to your account to reduce your bills – contact your energy provider to find out how.
- Set up a regular direct debit or payment plan with your electricity provider to help you manage your bills within your budget.
- Your energy provider may have a financial hardship team – contact them if you fall behind paying your bills.
- From time-to-time government departments will offer grants or reimbursements, keep an eye out for these.
- The Utility Relief Grant Scheme helps low-income Victorians to pay overdue energy or water bills if they are experiencing unexpected hardship. Find out more here:Â Utility Relief Grant Scheme
Financial counselling
From time to time, we all can experience challenges with our finances. There are people who can support you through these challenges and provide advice to help you better manage your finances:
Mildura Financial Counselling – Mallee Family Care
Bendigo Financial Counselling – Bendigo Family and Financial Services
- Preston Financial Counselling
- Geelong Financial Counselling
Australia wide financial counselling