Simple Swaps to Save Energy, Money and Water

Simple Swaps to Save Energy, Money and Water

It's no secret that the rising cost of electricity is proving a major cause for concern for many Australian's this winter.

A new educational initiative called -Our Home Our Planet' is encouraging Australian's to review their energy and water practices this winter with the view of reducing wastage and ultimately saving money.

Here are some easy to follow tips from www.ourhome-ourplanet.com.au:

In the Laundry:
Did you know that washing machines are a huge source of wasted water and energy?
Save 93KWh of energy every year by SWAPPING long wash cycles in hot water FOR short wash cycles in cold water - a proven stain remover will work just as effectively
Furthermore, SWAP several small loads of washing FOR a full load as continual washing of small loads not only wastes energy and water, but it costs you more in the long run
SWAP the tumble dryer FOR line drying – it goes without saying that if you can dry your laundry on a line outdoors then this is the most eco-friendly option and it will save you money

In the Kitchen:
Save 7,800L of water and 183KWh of energy every year by SWAPPING the washing up by hand routine FOR the dishwasher
Save 7.5L of water each time you SWAP pre-rinsing dirty dishes under the tap FOR scraping excess food straight into the bin prior to loading into the dishwasher

In the Bathroom:
Save over 4,300L of water per person per year by SWAPPING a running tap FOR a turned off tap
SWAP long steamy showers FOR shorter showers and you'll not only save water, you'll also save the cost of heating
Save up to 8L of water of each time you clean your toilet by SWAPPING the pre-cleaning flush option FOR pouring the cleaner straight into the toilet

General Household:
In the average Australian home, 25% of household energy is used in water heating. SWAP hot water FOR cold, and dilute a specially formulated floor cleaner in a bucket of cold water instead

-Our Home Our Planet' Ambassador and 2007 Prime Minister's Environmentalist of the Year Arron Wood said, 'If 50,000 Australian households practice these simple and practical OHOP tips, we can significantly reduce our carbon impact, and collectively save $3.8 million, 14.5 million kWh - enough energy to power 37,700 5-star family-sized fridges for a year - and 464 million litres of water each year - enough to fill more than 9,280 backyard swimming pools".

Australians are encouraged to practice these energy and water saving tips and register their promise at www.ourhome-ourplanet.com.au. For every promise made, $1 will be donated on their behalf to a cause that directly affects all Australian residents; the Murray Darling River Foundation.

The Our Home Our Planet $50,000 donation will be used to purchase 25 million litres of water that will be allocated to a Murray Darling River community initiative or one of over 1,000 sites along the river system that most urgently need a boost to their ecologies.