THE WIRE
THE HOME SAVINGS ISSUE
INSIDE: WHAT USES WATT : PEAK vs OFF PEAK
REAL $ SAVINGS IN YOUR HOME
REAL $ SAVINGS
IN YOUR HOME
It makes good energy sense to rethink the way
you use appliances around the home.
Did you know that a Plasma TV uses around
$100 a year more electricity than a traditional TV?
So turn it off when you’re not using it.
Running your PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360
just one hour less a day can save up to $50 a year
in electricity. So if you’re not using your game
console, turn it off.
Laptop vs Desktop? If you’re buying a new
computer consider this… laptops use up to
$50 a year less electricity than desktops.
Source: Ergon Energy ‘Energy Advisors’
WOULD YOU LEAVE
A TAP DRIPPING?
Leaving your electrical appliances
on is the same as letting a tap drip
all night. Switch appliances off
completely and save. That really
makes good energy sense.
WHAT USES WATT
IN THE AVERAGE HOME
Air conditioners, electric hot water systems and
refrigerators account for up to three quarters of your
electricity bill. Want to cut down on electricity use?
Set your air conditioner to 25ºC in summer.
Setting your air conditioner to 22ºC will increase
running costs by around 20%.
Save up to $200 a year by operating your
electric hot water system on an Economy Tariff.
Better still switch to solar hot water.
Switch off the second fridge and cut over
$100 a year off your electricity bill.
Source: Ergon Energy
‘Energy Advisors’
Hot Water 13%
Refrigeration 21%
Household
Appliances 6%
Lighting 2%
Entertainment 10%
Air Conditioning 40%
Swimming
Pool 8%
BEFORE YOU BUY OR RENT
It makes good energy sense to conduct an
Energy Audit on your future home.
Solar hot water is ideal or, if there is an electric
hot water system with a capacity of 125 litres or
greater, check if it’s connected to an Economy Tariff.
Does the home have ceiling insulation?
If downlights are installed, can they be dimmed
to help reduce power use?
If incandescent bulbs are used for lighting,
can they be changed to energy efficient bulbs?
Are fans installed? They’re cheaper to run
than air conditioners.
If there is air conditioning, is it in an area that can
be closed off for efficient cooling and heating?
Are energy efficient showerheads fitted?
Is there a clothesline outside that you can use
instead of a dryer?
If there’s a swimming pool, is it connected to
an Economy Tariff?
Using all of these energy saving ideas can substantially
reduce electricity running costs in the average home.
Using electricity at night is cheaper.
General prices apply day and night unless your
appliances are wired to an Economy Tariff.
The CosT of eleCTRiCiTy
our modern way of life places great demands on the
generation of electricity. Did you know that the majority of
what you pay for your electricity goes towards generating
and delivering it to your home? Less than 10% is related to
billing and servicing customers.
Demand for electricity is increasing as our population grows
and more energy hungry appliances like air conditioners and
plasma TVs are used. As a result, more infrastructure must
be built. To keep our electricity costs as low as possible,
we all need to be smarter about how and when we use power.
PEAK vs oFF PEAK uSAgE
During the day there are peaks in the demand for electricity.
These are usually in the morning when we get up, shower
and have breakfast before work or school, and in the
evening when we get home, cook dinner and watch TV in air
conditioned rooms. Electricity infrastructure must be built to
cope with these peaks in power usage. If we can all reduce
the amount of electricity we use in peak times, then less
money needs to be spent on building infrastructure
capacity that is used for only a small part of the day.
Switching large electricity-guzzling appliances that don’t
need to run in peak times (like electric hot water systems and
swimming pool filters) to operate in off peak times is a great
alternative. This will reduce demand during peak times
and save you money. You can do this by switching to an
Economy Tariff, where prices are discounted by up to 60%.
For more information on Economy Tariffs
go to ergon.com.au or give us a call.
ChECK YouR bILL To SEE IF You
ARE on An EConomY TARIFF
Look for ‘Tariff 31’ or ‘Tariff 33’ on your bill.
These are both Economy Tariffs.
It makes really good energy sense to switch to an
Economy Tariff for appliances that you do not need to run
in peak times. It will cost around $100-$150* to have a
licensed electrical contractor connect an electric hot water
system to an Economy Tariff, or $200-$250* for a swimming
pool. However with savings of up to $200 each for your hot
water system and swimming pool every year, the benefits
will soon outstrip the initial outlay. You’ll be reducing
demand for electricity during peak times and helping to
keep infrastructure costs down, which is good for the
whole community.
*Estimated costs are based on a standard installation
in a major regional centre.
save $1600 WiTh These
goveRnmenT RebaTes
Take advantage of the Australian government’s $1600
Energy Efficient Homes Package today and reduce your
electricity costs. There are two ways open to you.
Eligible customers can choose from either:
$1600 worth of ceiling insulation, which should
be enough to insulate the entire home, or
$1600 to help replace your electric hot water system.
Add this to other government solar incentives and you
could install a solar or heat pump hot water system
for a similar price to an electric system.
For more information visit
environment.gov.au/rebates
is youR home Climatesmart?
Right now you can have a licensed electrician visit
your home, install a wireless energy monitor, an energy
efficient showerhead and up to 15 energy efficient light
bulbs for just $50. Visit the Queensland Government’s
ClimateSmart Home Service at climatesmarthome.com
to find out how.
HOW TO CONTACT US
Customer Service: Faults only:
13 10 46 13 22 96
7am-6.30pm, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Monday to Friday
Life-Threatening
ergon.com.au Emergencies only:
Ergon Energy Corporation Limited 000 or 13 16 70
ABN 50 087 646 062 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Ergon Energy Queensland Pty Ltd Office of the
ABN 11 121 177 802 Customer Advocate:
PO Box 15107,
City East QLD 4002
Ergon Energy cares for the environment.
THE WIRE is printed on environmentally
friendly Impact 100% recycled paper.
ISSUE 5