Explore your Household
Building a new property is the perfect time to create a sustainable, efficient home for your future. Explore your home to take action and get support.
BathroomBathroom
Why it’s important
After heating your rooms, hot water is the next biggest user of energy at home. Most Canberra households still have either an old or inefficient water heating system, like a standard electric element hot water system or gas hot water heater, which can contribute to high energy bills.
Taking action
- You can save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by installing the most appropriate and efficient water heater for your apartment such as a heat-pump hot water heater.
- Upgrading to an electric heat-pump can help reduce your emissions by around 10 tonnes over the heat pump’s useful life while potentially saving you about $150 per year.
- Heat-pumps are one of the cheapest and efficient systems to run in the ACT climate. For example, to heat a standard 300L hot water tank to 60 degrees takes:
- a hot water heat pump uses about 4.7 kWh to heat a water tank to 60 degrees, and costs about $478 per year to run.
- a standard electric hot water system about 14 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity, and costs about $1,435 per year.
- a gas hot water system about 59.3 megajoules (MJ) to heat (equivalent to 16.5 kWh) and will cost about $850 per year.
Support available
- Apply for a zero interest loan through the Sustainable Household Scheme for $2,000 to $15,000 to buy energy-efficient products, including a hot water heat pump.
- Look for rebates and support available through our programs
- Attend a Sustainable Home Advice workshop on all-electric homes
- Speak to our Sustainable Home Advice team on 1300 141 777.
- Owner corporations can no longer refuse sustainability upgrade requests, like efficient hot water, for your property – It’s part of the Managing Buildings Better reforms.
Kitchen
Why it’s important
Gas stove tops and ovens are one of the least efficient of all household appliances. Having an efficient electric stove top can help you reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Taking action
- You can replace your existing gas stove top or oven with an induction stove top or ceramic stove top.
- They are cheaper to run and and work as well or even better than gas.. an induction stove top is also extremely energy efficient, as over 90% of energy is transferred as heat to the cookware, compared to about 50% for gas*.
- induction uses almost three times less energy than gas to create the same amount of heat needed to cook an average meal. Gas cooking uses 1.53kWh, whereas an induction uses 0.59kWh.
- the open flame of a gas stove top can also present a potential safety concern for burns. Combusting gas inside your home can also cause air quality issues indoors if not properly ventilated. The Climate Council has found the effect of gas cooking in the home is comparable to the effect of smoking indoors on childhood asthma.
Support available
- Apply for a zero-interest loan through the Sustainable Household Scheme for $2,000 to $15,000 to buy energy-efficient products, including replacing an existing gas stovetop with an electric alternative.
- Look for rebates and support available through our programs.
- Attend a Sustainable Home Advice workshop on all-electric homes.
- Speak to our Sustainable Home Advice team on 1300 141 777.
* based on (30 minutes of cooking using two burners)
Dining/living
Why it’s important
Heating makes up about 60% of an average Canberra household’s energy use. The most efficient heating and cooling systems available on the market today are reverse cycle (sometimes called a split system) air conditioners. They can heat your house quickly and cost less to run than gas heating or other electric heating systems.
Taking action
- A reverse cycle heating system can heat your house quickly and will costs less to run than gas heating or other electric heating systems.
- To heat an average living area of 50m2 for a year:
- an average electric element heater uses 5,205 kilowatt hours (kWh) and costs about $1,462.
- a gas wall heater uses about 22,045 megajoules (MJ) (equivalent to 6,124 kWh) and costs about $866.
- an average reverse-cycle system would use 1,407 kWh and cost $395. A more efficient reverse cycle system uses 868 kWh and costs $244 per year.
- Upgrading your gas heating system to an efficient electric reverse cycle air conditioning system can reduce your emissions by around 14 tonnes over the system’s useful life. And you’ll potentially save about $500 per year on heating bills.
Support available
- Apply for a zero-interest loan through the Sustainable Household Scheme for $2,000 to $15,000 to buy energy-efficient products, including an electric stove top/oven.
- Look for rebates and support available through our programs.
- Attend a Sustainable Home Advice workshop on all-electric homes.
- Speak to our Sustainable Home Advice team on 1300 141 777.
Solar/Roof
Why it’s important
A rooftop solar photovoltaic system can help households produce their own renewable electricity, rather than relying on electricity from the grid and help reduce our dependence on burning fossil fuels. This can help to reduce energy bills, particularly if the household is all-electric and has efficient appliances.
Taking action
- The average annual electricity bill for households with a three kilowatt (kW) solar PV system is $400 less than households without solar PV*.
Support available
- Apply for a zero-interest loan through the Sustainable Household Scheme for $2,000 to $15,000 to buy energy-efficient products, including rooftop solar panels and household battery storage systems.
- If you are a concession card holder, including veterans, you may be eligible for a rebate of up to $2,500 for the installation of rooftop solar through the Home Energy Support Program.
- Attend a Sustainable Home Advice workshop on understanding solar.
- Speak to our Sustainable Home Advice team on 1300 141 777.
- Owner corporations can no longer refuse sustainability upgrade requests, like efficient hot water, for your property – It’s part of the Managing Buildings Better reforms.
* Source: St Vincent de Paul Society’s ACT Energy Prices July 2021 report.
Battery
Why it’s important
Having a solar storage battery means you can store excess power for later, which means you don’t need to use as much electricity from the grid. Depending on your battery system, you could still have power during an outage.
Taking action
- Batteries can help capture any excess solar power generated during the day for later use or when you need it at night, on overcast days or during peak times when electricity prices are higher.
Support available:
- Apply for a zero-interest loan through the Sustainable Household Scheme for $2,000 to $15,000 to buy energy efficient products, including a battery storage system.
- Households can also apply for a rebate of $3,500 (excluding GST) or 50% of the battery price (excluding GST) through the Next Gen Energy Storage Program.
