Identifying low-cost energy efficiency measures
Use this guide to help you take action on your energy plan.
On this page
Maintain equipment
Look after equipment to ensure that good performance is maintained. Make the following checks:
- Are light fittings cleaned regularly?
- Are windows cleaned regularly to maximise the use of natural light?
- Do refrigeration appliances and ovens have good seals?
- Are refrigeration appliances thawed regularly?
- Are appliances regularly maintained, are there any contracts for this?
Insulation
- Is there ceiling insulation. If so, how thick is it? (The current minimum standard is R 2.6 or 120mm for Pink Batts, but the more the better.)
- Is there underfloor insulation?
- Are external doors and windows are well-fitting and are draught-proofed?
- Is the building weatherproofed? (For example, fill any gaps around pipes entering the building.)
- Is the hot water cylinder a standard "A Grade" type? If not, it needs to be wrapped with insulation.
- Are the hot-water pipes within 1 metre of the cylinder lagged?
- Are external hot-water pipes lagged?
- Are hot-water pipes with long runs and high use lagged?
Lighting
- Replace incandescent bulbs with equivalent compact fluorescent (energy saver lamps), particularly for high-use lights (used for more than 4 hours a day).
- Replace 36mm fluorescent tubes with 28mm triphosphor tubes. (Check first that they are interchangeable in your lighting system.)
Maintenance
- Are there any leaking hot-water taps?
- Do seals on refrigeration appliances and ovens need replacing?
- Are there flow restrictors fitted on high-use hot-water taps?
- Could you install movement-sensitive light switches in infrequently used areas?
- Could you install light-sensitive switches for external and security lighting?
- Could you install timers on office equipment to switch off at the end of business?
- Can the controls on heating or air conditioning systems be improved?
- Can the controls on other equipment be improved?