With winter coming on now is the perfect time for north east residents to take advantage of Dorset Council's offer of free home energy audit tool kits.
Dorset Council Environment Officer, Sarah Forsyth, said today that the HEAT kits lower power bills by allowing householders to work out how much power they are using and what they can do to reduce their bills.
"They include tools such as power mate which measures consumption, a radiometer for checking fridge leakages, and gauges for determining hot water flows.
"You can easily measure the electricity used by your fridges, freezers and washing machines. Leaks can also be detected and hot water flows can easily be better regulated," Ms Forsyth said.
"The kits also provide suggested actions when over consumption and leaks have been identified. These range from advice on how to fix leaks, when to efficiently use high energy items and even how to turn down your hot water thermostat."
Apsley MLC, Tania Rattray, is supporting this council initiative. "It really gives people the ability to undertake their own home energy audits - so they can choose to make the changes that suit them and save them money."
Ms Forsyth pointed out that a number of Dorset residents have already used the kits and they all are amazed at how much they learnt and how they can take simple steps to reduce their power consumption and their power bills.
"For example many people in our region have large freezers but one person told me that they learnt that theirs was running at an unnecessarily high level.
"He also turned down his hot water to a level where much less cold water was needed and have really noticed the difference in their power bill," she said.
Ms Forsyth also pointed out that another local family, including the children, were shocked to discover how much they could save by turning everything off rather than leaving appliances on stand by.
`"People who would like to book the kits can simply ring Madison on 6352 6548 or drop in to the council offices during business hours," she said.
For further information contact Madison Loosmore on 03 6352 6548.
Below are the latest helpful hints from the state government on ways to save energy in your house. They are excellent and cover a wide range of information
Energy Efficiency when Buying or Renting a House
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Energy Efficiency Guide to Star Ratings(1140 kb)
Energy Efficiency Understanding the Jargon(1151 kb)
Energy Efficiency Changing your Power Habits(1072 kb)
Kitchen
Laundry
Bathroom
And there's more...
100 litres per hour - around $570 per year
75 litres per hour - around $430 per year
50 litres per hour - around $285 per year
25 litres per hour - around $145 per year
10 litres per hour - around $57 per year
5 litres per hour - around $30 per year
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