1. Power Smart
Colin’s house uses just 4 units of electricity a day because this veggie bed is also the air-conditioner!
It also sells 4 units a day to the grid because there are PVs on the roof.

2. How to read my electric bill
What’s the most important part to read?

3. In pairs, talk about your bills: Add up electric and gas units
Do you think you use a little or a lot? 3

4. Household Energy Consumption
WINTER
High usage (per day)
Medium usage (per day)
Living Smart use (per day)
Household size
Energy electric + gas
Water
Energy electric+ gas
1-2 person
35 kwh
450 L
25 kwh
300 L
13 kwh
125 L
3-4 person
50 kwh
600 L
400 L
18 kwh
250 L
5+ person
70 kwh
750 L
45 kwh
500 L
22 kwh
375 L

5. What is a unit of electricity?
1 unit = 1 kWh = 1,000 watts of energy used for an hour
(like a 1 bar electric fire, or 13 x 75w globes on for an hour)

6. What is a unit of electricity?
Each unit of electricity causes 1 kg of greenhouse gas back at the power station
1 kg of greenhouse gas is enough to fill a ‘fit ball’

7. 2005-6 Electricity generation in WA
from ABARE 2005 data

8. CO2 emission per capita per year per country
Carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide or CO2 emitted through the combustion of fossil fuels; in the case of an organization, business or enterprise, as part of their everyday operations; in the case of an individual or household, as part of their daily lives; or a product or commodity in reaching market. In materials, is essentially a measure of embodied energy, the result of life cycle analysis. A carbon footprint is often expressed as tons of carbon dioxide or tons of carbon emitted, usually on a yearly basis. There are many versions of calculators available for carbon footprinting. This is directly related to the amount of natural resources consumed, increasingly used or referred to as a measure of environmental impact. Carbon dioxide is recognized as a greenhouse gas, of which increasing levels in the atmosphere are linked to global warming and climate change. (

9. Climate Change - Can we make a difference?
Total Australian emissions = 559 million tonnes CO2e = 56 tonnes per household per annum.
Car – 6 t
Power – 6 t
Gas – 1.5 t
Water – 0.3 t
Waste – 0.7 t
Source: AGO
Total – 14.5 tonnes per household
Air travel, food, clothing, houses etc add another 16 tonnes.

10. So what’s ‘normal’? Meet Colin Meet Tanya Meet Platinum Bill
Drives 4,000 km pa
Uses 4 kwh a day e
12 kwh a day gas
Reduces & Recycles
Eats veggie food
CO2e footprint 8 tonnes
Fuel bills $1,300 pa
Drives 12,000 km pa
Uses 12 kwh a day e
15 kwh a day gas
Recycles
Eats health food
CO2e footprint 24 tonnes
Fuel bills $3,250 pa
Drives 20,000 km pa
Uses 40 kwh a day e
25 kwh a day gas
Fills his bin each week
Leaves processed food
CO2e footprint 40 tonnes
Fuel bills $7,500 pa

11. Where does all the energy go?
Typical annual Energy use bills = $1,400

12. Where does all the energy go?
Typical annual Energy use bills = $1,400

13. Top Power Smart Tips Water Heating 31% of household energy bills ($500 pa)
Don’t Get in Hot Water!
Set water heater
Install a waterwise showerhead.
Take short showers.
Switch to Solar Hot Water.

14. Instantaneous water heater
Water heating 31% household energy use
Storage water heater – the most energy consumptive
Instantaneous water heater
Lower the temperature on your storage hot water from 70/80˚C system to 60 ˚C (don’t pay to heat water up then add cold to it!) and
save $60 & 400kg CO2e

15. Instantaneous water heater
Water heating 31% household energy use
Instantaneous water heater
Lower the thermostat setting on your instantaneous water heater between 40 – 50˚C
save $30 and
200 kg CO2e

16. Water heating 31% household energy
Installing a solar hot water system
In WA you can save up to 75% on hot water bills.
Replace an electric storage water heater solar hot water system
Save $780/yr
4153 Kg Co2
That is saving 33 trees for their lifetime!
Replace an gas storage water heater solar hot water system
Save $378/yr
834 Kg Co2
That is saving 7 trees for their lifetime!
Rebates available

17. Water heating Insulate your hot water pipes with Pipe lagging
Install a flow regulator to reduce the water going out of the taps

18. Top Power Smart Tips Room heating/ cooling 26% or $450 pa
Be naturally cool
Shade windows from the outside. Save $85/ 480Kg
Insulate ceiling. Save $50 to $100/ Kg
Catch the breeze (small gap ‘up wind’, large gap ‘down wind’)

19. Blocking heat through E-W Windows
What makes a difference in blocking the sun’s heat in rooms with E or W-facing windows? Suggest some solutions.
Ref: Your Home figures

20. EXTERNAL SHADING
Shade E & W windows from the outside in summer – most affective
Save $55
480Kg CO2e

21. Typical Areas of Heat Transfer

22. Top Power Smart Tips Room heating/ cooling 26% or $450 pa
Take control
Set heating to 18 to 20 degrees and cooling to 24 to 27 degrees
Only heat and cool the rooms you are using
Use a ceiling fan (costs 2 cents an hour to run)
Dress up, dress down

23. Top Power Smart Tips Fridges 16% ($225 pa)
Cool is not always cool
Set fridge to 4 degrees and freezer to -15 (use a fridge thermometer)
Put the fridge in a cool place (no sun, no oven, good space around)
Turn the beer fridge off (except for parties) and save $65

24. Top Power Smart Tips Standby Power 10% ($150 pa)
Hit the right buttons
Switch off what doesn’t need a clock:
Computer
Phone charger
Air con unit (switch outside!)
TV and set top box
Games console
Stereo
Washing machine
Pool pump
Lights! (including outdoor lights)
Save $110/ 600kg

25. Top Power Smart Tips Lighting 4-8% ($60 - $125 pa)
Change globes
Fit 10 CFLs. Save $100/ 700Kg
Change downlights:
Replace 12v, 50w with 20wIRC
Replace 12v, 50w with top end LEDs
Replace 240v, 50w with special CFLs
LED downlight

26. Top Power Smart Tips Don’t forget the little things:
Cold wash your less dirty clothes
Line dry, don’t tumble dry
Watch less TV!
Fill the kettle by the cup
Cook with lids on pots

27. Top Power Smart Tips Go Green
Change to GreenPower to get your electricity from WA windfarms:
$10 per bill ($60 per year) OR
25, 50 or 100% Green Power
Costs an extra 6 cents per unit =
$300 per year for an average house
$60 per year if you follow all the Tips
Call Synergy on to sign up
OR ‘Earth Friendly’ costs an extra 1.98c/ unit for synergy to ‘offset’ the greenhouse gas from ‘dirty’ electricity by investing in projects like tree planting

28. PV Systems How a PV system works Which type of system to choose
Up front costs and subsidies
Savings and payback periods

29. How a PV system works

30. How a PV system works

33. Top Power Smart Tips Money Money Money Product (and full cost)
There are grants for many Power Smart investments:
Product (and full cost)
Federal Grant
State Grant
Solar Hot Water ($4,500 - $6,500)
$1,000 (replacing electric heater)
$1,300 RECs and $500 grant for gas boosted
PVs – 1.5 kwh ($11,000)
$6,200
Feed-in tariff

34. When upgrading appliances – reach for the stars
Energy Star rating of appliances 0 to 5 stars for Washing Machines, Clothes Dryers, Dishwashers, Air Con, Fridges
A 5 Star fridge can cost $50 pa less to run than a 3 Star fridge
For efficient electrical appliances see:
WELS rating of appliances 0 to 6 star for Washing Machines, Dish Washers, Taps, Showers, Toilets.
A 5 Star Washing machine can use 24,000 litres pa less than a 1 star model
For efficient water appliances see:

35. Put it all together FREE action Investments Low cost action Action
CO2e/ $ saved pa
Standby
640kg/$110
Heat/cool settings
50kg/$10
Water heat setting
220kg/$110
Cold wash clothes
128kg/$22
Line dry clothes
300kg/$55
Turn off 2nd fridge
271kg/$50
Fridge setting
25kg/$5
Compost/ recycle
150kg
Waterwise garden
115kg/$75
TOTAL
1,899kg/
$437
Action
CO2e/ $ saved pa
Top up roof insulation
250kg/$50 - $100
Waterwise wash machine
30kg/$25
Shade EW windows
480kg/$85
SHW Syst
2457kg/$400
PV system
1500kg/$350
Rainwater tank
101kg/68
Greywater
124kg/84
TOTAL
4,942kg/
$1,062
Low cost action
Action
CO2e/ $ saved pa
CF Globes
750kg/$110
Waterwise shower
273kg/$50
100%Green Power
5000kg/$-ve
Fix leaking tap
3kg/$2
TOTAL
6,026kg/
$162

36. N
Colin’s house is NOT solar passive - but it uses only 4 units of electricity each day W E S

37. Go the extra mile - redesign for solar passive

38. The Seven Steps to Goal Achievement
1)  Write your goal down
2)  Make it specific
3)  Make it positive
4)  Make it challenging
5)  Make it measurable
6)  Give it a deadline
7) Make it flexible

39. Lets talk about energy saving together:
Which parts of your home waste energy?
Have you though of a way to solve that?
When do you think you might get around to having a go at solving it? 39

40. Key contacts Acknowledgements
Search ‘Renewable Energy’ on
Synergy on
Living Smart is the brand of the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council, City of Fremantle, Meeting Place and Murdoch University.
The Living Smart program for households is being managed by the Department of Environment and Conservation in partnership with the Department for Planning and Infrastructure.
Many individuals and agencies have also contributed to the development of the Living Smart program design. These include Water Corporation, Alinta Sales, Synergy, Sustainable Energy Development Office, Office of Climate Change, City of Joondalup, City of Mandurah and SMRC.