It pays to find out how much electricity you use.

Right now, it’s tricky for householders to know exactly how much power we’re consuming at any given moment – and how much it’s costing us. But that’s all set to change as smart electricity meters are rolled out across the state.

Peter Clements, from the Victorian Department of Primary Industries, says the new devices will help us understand our energy use. “Courtesy of these smart meters, you will know far more about the costs of turning on your heater or air conditioner,” he says.

Our current spinning wheel meters will be replaced with digital technology that allows energy retailers to read your meter remotely and offer price deals that vary throughout the day. While that will mean steeper metering fees and higher rates at peak times, it can also help you save money.

A recent trial conducted by Integral Energy in NSW found that consumers paying variable tariffs saved an average of $100 per year. Under one pricing model, consumption fell by 40 per cent during peak periods.

The smart meters can connect with an in-home display that gives real-time information about your consumption and costs, but it’s not compulsory to install one. Depending on the services offered by your energy retailer, updates on power use and prices may also be available via the Internet or SMS.

“Smart meters are a tool to help people better manage the inevitable energy cost increases due to climate change,” Mr Clements says. If you want to cut your bills and your eco-footprint, opt for an in-home device – try to get all the information you can, as clearly and simply as possible.

The new meter roll out will begin slowly; about 15,000 have been installed so far, mainly in northern and eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Under the state government’s timetable, all Victorian households will receive one by the end of 2013.

Happily, you don’t have to wait years to learn more about your energy consumption. Jason Bond, from EnviroShop in Thornbury, says there are gadgets already available that give you the knowledge you need.

The Power-Mate Lite is an Australian-made gizmo that plugs in between the socket and an appliance and tells you exactly how much power the appliance is guzzling. “It allows you to work out where you are using energy,” Mr Bond says, “so you can reduce it, and reduce the associated environmental impacts.”

The device can be set to display energy consumption, costs or carbon dioxide emissions, and can also extrapolate the results to produce an annual figure.

“Every time someone uses a Power-Mate, they always find weird things they never thought would need much energy,” Mr Bond says. He’s been surprised to learn that some gas wall-heaters also churn through electricity to run timers and thermostats. A heated towel rack is another serial offender, especially when it’s left running night and day.

“You can also find out how much your TVs and stereos are consuming when they are on standby,” he says, “Those phantom loads can be substantial – around 10 per cent of your entire energy usage.”

A Power-Mate Lite will set you back $115, so it’s a good idea to split the cost with family or friends. Alternatively, some public libraries have Power-Mates available to borrow, or you can rent one from EnviroShop for $35 per week.

Check out this selection of Australian eco home websites.

yourhome.gov.au – a joint project of the Australian Government and the building industry, the Your Home Technical Manual contains all the know-how for your wildest sustainable design and construction dreams. The authoritative website also has step-by-step guides for buyers and renovators. All information is free to download.

makeyourhomegreen.vic.gov.au – Make Your Home Green is a portal site, chock full of news and links for Victorian homeowners and renovators. You’ll find loads of facts on the 5 Star building standard, plus links to rebate guides and tips for saving money, water and energy around the house.

greenelectricitywatch.org.au – if you’re thinking about switching to green power, Green Electricity Watch will help you sort through the spin. Run by three major environmental groups, the regular survey assesses the eco-credentials behind the claims of the power retailers. It lists each product’s ranking alongside its extra cost, and also carries a comprehensive page of energy saving advice.

savewater.com.au – the Savewater Alliance is a non-profit association made up of water businesses and government agencies. Its website is intended to be a one-stop water conservation shop, and boasts tips, research, case studies and product links that will help you cut water use throughout your home and garden.

sokitt.com – when your old white goods conk out, make Sokitt your first research stop. This ingenious website analyses the running costs of the fridges, dishwashers and washing machines on the Australian market, together with their upfront prices. You can modify the search to account for your size and style preferences and even compare your old model with new ones on offer. 

sgaonline.org.au – Sustainable Gardening Australia is a non-profit organisation that promotes smart backyard gardening with a taste for veggies. The website includes a forum and free fact sheets examining aphids, zucchinis and everything in between. You can also sign up to Cuttings, a monthly email update full of handy seasonal hints and planting guides.

aussieslivingsimply.com.au – this busy online forum is dedicated to the simple life. Join up and ask questions of other people who are putting sustainable living into practice. Discussion threads include permaculture, fruit and veggie gardening, renewable energy, preserving and mending, as well as cooking, cleaning and DIY construction.

recyclingnearyou.com.au – if you’re not sure what can and can’t have a second life, look up Recycling Near You. Run by Planet Ark, the website contains information from every council in the country. It covers kerbside collection as well as instructions for trickier items like e-waste, tyres, oil and chemicals. You can search by council area or by product.

ethical.org.au – the Ethical Consumer Guide aims to inform shoppers about the social and environmental impact of our buying habits. The website has information about the brands and products on our supermarket shelves, as well as explanations of broader issues such as waste, food miles and organics. 

Smart shading can help heatproof your home.

IF YOU shade your windows well, you’ll be able to switch off your air-conditioner more often this summer, says David Hallett, the state manager of Archicentre. “It can make you more comfortable on two fronts – it will keep your rooms cooler and ease the burden on your hip pocket as well.”

Archicentre is the advisory service of the Australian Institute of Architects. It runs free seminars on a variety of issues, including renovating and sustainable building.

Mr Hallett says that the key to effective shading is to stop the sun from striking windows directly. “Many people try to stay cool by drawing curtains or internal blinds, but the sun is still transmitting heat into the room. The trick is to stop it hitting the glass in the first place.”

Large structures such as verandahs, pergolas and covered outdoor living areas can all do the job, but there’s a catch. “In Melbourne, you’ve got to balance keeping the sun out during the hot months with getting it in during a cold winter,” he says.

If you’re planning to build or renovate, pay special attention to your eaves. During summer, the sun tracks high in the northern sky and stays hot until late in the afternoon as it sets in the west. In winter, the sun is lower in the sky all day. Because of this difference, it’s possible to design eaves so they block sunshine in summer, but let it in throughout winter.

“If you design the building well, with living areas to the north, you will want the winter sun coming in. The calculation of eaves becomes very important,” Mr Hallett says.

Even so, you don’t need to completely redesign your home just to improve its shading. Other cheap and effective tactics include installing shadecloth or outdoor blinds on your windows. Mr Hallett warns DIYers to be cautious with shade sails. “Make sure they’re designed and installed properly because they can come down in strong winds and take some of the building with them.”

Another simple strategy is to grow trees for shade. Robin Brimblecombe, a solar energy researcher at Monash University, says careful planting of deciduous trees to the north and west will help cool your home in summer while allowing sunlight in when they lose their leaves.

According to Dr Brimblecombe, US researchers recently found that houses with existing shade trees use an average of five per cent less electricity over summer. (For more information, see his article in the current issue of ReNew magazine, published by the Alternative Technology Association.)

Before you decide on a tree variety, it’s wise to contact a nursery for detailed advice. “When you plant leafy trees you need to consider whether you’ve got enough water to sustain them through summer,” Dr Brimblecombe says. Despite the extra shade, bigger isn’t always better – thirsty roots can damage pipes and foundations.

Smaller trees can be very effective, especially to the west. “For sustainability, deciduous fruit trees like apples and stone fruits are a great idea,” he says. “You get the double benefit of shade and edible produce.”

Dr Brimblecombe also suggests growing deciduous grape vines on a north-facing pergola. “It’s lovely to sit under their shade and you also get a cooling effect from the leaves as they transpire.”

 

All sorts of products can have a second life.

Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week runs from 9 to 15 November. Now in its 14^th year, the event aims to improve our recycling habits and cut our waste.

“People are really familiar with recycling the cans and cartons they use at home,” says campaign director Brad Gray. “But it gets more complicated with things that can’t go in the kerbside collection.

This week, to help you discard those trickier items, there will be special recycling collection points set up at Melbourne Central, Highpoint, Dandenong Plaza and Chirnside Park.

You’ll be able to drop off old batteries, printer cartridges, corks and compact fluorescent globes (which contain mercury and should not be put in the bin). You can even recycle your old eyeglasses. “They get cleaned and graded and then donated to communities around the world where people can’t afford to buy them,” Mr Gray says.

For this year’s recycling week, Planet Ark is also promoting swap parties, where people can exchange their unwanted treasure for free. There are 10 Victorian councils holding Big Aussie Swaps – check the website to see if your council is involved. If not, Mr Gray suggests staging your own with your friends and neighbours. “We’re encouraging people to re-use before they get to the recycling stage – it has an even better environmental benefit.”

He argues that it’s more important than ever before to get the most from our resources. “It takes thousands of litres of water to make a cotton dress or print a book and that’s water we can’t afford to waste. Swapping is a simple and fun way to save valuable resources.

According to deputy CEO of Sustainability Victoria, Jan Trewhella, a new kind of waste has begun to crowd our tips in recent years – high-tech gadgets such as computers, printers, mobile phones and DVD players. “Electronic waste is growing at about four times the rate of normal household waste,” she says. “And with the change to digital technology we’ll see lots more TVs entering the waste stream.”

Many of these gizmos contain lead, mercury and other hazardous materials. If they’re not discarded carefully, they can end up contaminating our soil, ground water or waterways.

But e-waste also contains precious metals such as gold, copper and silver, as well as plastic, glass and other materials that can be extracted through recycling. “We can reclaim these resources rather than losing them to landfill,” Ms Trewhella says.

Together with industry partners, Sustainability Victoria runs Byteback, a free disposal and recycling service for worn-out computer equipment. You can drop off up to ten items at a time, including PCs, printers, speakers, cords and other peripherals. There are collection stations in Melbourne and beyond, including Ballarat and Geelong. A nationwide e-waste collection scheme is slated to begin by 2011.

The government agency also recently launched Batteryback, a similar scheme that gathers spent single-use and rechargeable batteries. Collection points (only in Melbourne) are listed on the Resource Smart website.

Mobile phones and old printer cartridges are two other commonly thrown-out products that can be easily recycled. They can be dropped off through any Australia Post office.

For more information, visit Planet Ark’s comprehensive website, Recycling Near You. It lists instructions and links for almost any product, from car tyres to X-ray films, and can be searched by item and council area.

Natural light can cut your energy bills and brighten your days.

Recently, Caroline Ottinger decided to seek the light. “We live in a semi-detached house in Ascot Vale,” she says. “It’s over 100 years old and was quite dark inside. I really wanted to brighten it up.”

After thorough research, she chose two narrow tubular skylights to fit her corridor. The cost – $1200 installed – has paled in comparison to the effect on her home.

“They’ve transformed our hall,” she says. “People can’t believe it when they come over – they think we’ve got lights on. When it’s sunny they’re magnificent, and even when it’s overcast we never need to use lights during the day.”

Ms Ottinger has found the soft, diffuse daylighting to be more relaxing. “It makes me feel so much happier,” she says. “Because I’ve got a young baby I spend a lot of time in the house. I think light makes a real difference to your mood. It’s been an amazing transformation.”

If you’re considering skylights for your house, she suggests searching for a business that offers a free, no-obligation quote. “But it’s worth doing research yourself first, so you know the prices and the products – that way you’re not going to get ripped off.”

The Skylight Industry Association is a good place to start your investigation. President Robert Cussigh says that broadly, there are three kinds of skylights.

Dome skylights are the most common. They have a plastic, opaque dome in the roof and a square shaft that leads to a diffuser panel in the ceiling. Tubular skylights are similar, but use a round shaft with reflective silver lining that directs the sunlight downwards and into the room. Both kinds cost from around $200 to $900, plus installation.

Roof windows are glass units set directly into the roof, with open plaster shafts so you can see the sky. They usually have timber frames and double-glazing, but can come with all sorts of features, including blinds, rain sensors and remotes for opening and closing. They range in price from $400 to $2000, plus installation.

DIYers will find the smaller, tubular lights the most straightforward to put in, but Mr Cussigh maintains that any kind of skylight can be retrofitted. “They’re easier to install while you’re building the house, but most people tend to put them in after the fact. They realise they’ve got a dark room and skylights solve the problem.”

With an elegant design, they can even be a feature. “Many people are putting in roof windows for the wow-factor,” Mr Cussigh says. “You can really open a room up and make it look spectacular by drawing in natural light.”

Skylights can let in more than three times the light of a same-sized vertical window, according to online sustainable design guide, Your Home. Daylighting is also cooler than artificial sources, which means less added heat inside. Although some warmth can be gained and lost through the skylights themselves (depending on the weather outside), it’s minor in comparison to the effect of standard windows or inadequate insulation.

All things considered, says Mr Cussigh, skylights can significantly improve the energy efficiency of your house. “There’s a huge cost saving in CO₂ emissions by not having to flick a switch every time you want light,” he says.