Save Power: What can you do in your world?
The NSW Save Power summer campaign has been a great success with householders discovering ways to stay cool and save money. So far, they have pledged to save 7.6 million black balloons (or 3.8 tonnes) of carbon pollution this year!
Popular actions pledged this summer include setting the air conditioner a few degrees higher and mounting close-fitting curtains or blinds. With the warm weather coming to an end, it's time to think about ways to save power and stay warm when it's colder.
People traditionally use more power in winter so it's important to remember that there are ways you can stay warm and save power. A couple of simple ways to save power and money is to close doors to rooms that are not in use when the heater is on and seal gaps around the house. Setting your heater even a few degrees cooler can save 11,000 black balloons and $110 off your power bill. Visit Save Power for more tips.
Householders who are already making power-saving changes may be interested to see how their efforts are paying off. Follow the tips below to see how much your electricity use has changed over time.
Reading your electricity bill
On most bill statements there is an electricity usage graph where you can compare electricity use against previous billing periods.
Reading your electricity meter
Meters are located in a metal box outside your house or apartment building and will either be analogue (with dials) or electronic. To read an analogue meter, read the numbers from left to right starting with the left-most dial. For electronic meters, use the display button until you find your electricity reading.
Installing a smart meter
Many people are purchasing a smart electricity meter to measure their power usage and the cost of that usage at home or in the office. These relatively inexpensive meters allow users to see in an instant how much energy they are using.
You can also visit your power company's website for more information about how to track your power use.