Selecting fittings & appliances
See the light
Lighting is responsible for 10% of the average family's electricity bills but in some homes this can be much higher. You could be wasting hundreds of dollars a year just lighting your home.
Of course, the cheapest solution is to maximise use of natural light. This is another good reason for following the design tips In Choosing your new home about placement of rooms and windows.
Choosing energy saving lighting is one of the easiest and most cost effective things you can do. Compact fluorescent lights are a great choice because they save energy and last longer - just remember to choose 'warm white' bulbs for a nice warm feel.
Some LED lights save as much energy as compact fluorescents and can last three times longer or more. However, LED lights are still much more expensive at the moment. The technology is improving rapidly and LEDs are likely to be more cost competitive in future - so watch this space!
Low voltage halogen downlights use more energy than these efficient types. It's important to remember that low voltage doesn't mean low energy - so if you want to compare different types of bulbs look at the wattage. If you do choose halogens, use IRC (infrared coated) 35 W globes instead of 50 W globes.
Room lighting cost estimates
Options below provide similar lighting levels
| Standard bulbs | Downlights | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 x 15 W CFL | 1 x 75 W incandescent | 5 x 11 W CFL | 4 x 35 W IRC halogen | 4 x 50 W halogen | |
| Lifetime hours | 10,000 | 1,000 | 15,000 | 5 ,000 | 2 ,500 |
| Purchase cost* | $10 | $1 | $100 | $60 | $40 |
| Running cost* | $33 | $164 | $120 | $350 | $569 |
| Total cost* | $53 | $179 | $220 | $490 | $669 |
|
Greenhouse gas emissions* | 219 kg | 1,095 kg | 8 03 kg | 2 ,336 kg | 3 ,796 kg |
* Over ten years.
Purchase cost includes lamp cost and transformer for halogens. Operational costs and greenhouse
gas emissions will vary with hours of usage, electricity rates and location. One standard bulb is
compared with the minimum number of downlights required to light the average room.
'We changed our lighting plan when we found out how hot and uncomfortable it is sitting under halogen downlights.'
Choose appliances wisely
A smart choice is one that continues to save you money for the life of the appliance. The questions to ask are:
- What size do I need?
- Does it have a high star rating?
Star ratings are provided on all white goods to help you make the best choice. There are star ratings for both energy and water so a washing machine, for example, will have a star rating label for energy use and another for water use. The more stars, the more efficient the appliance is.
Choosing the right size for your needs is also important - a big 4-star fridge uses more energy than a small 4-star fridge. Look for the actual estimates of energy and water use, also provided on the label. This will give you a sense of the relative cost of running the appliance. The fridge uses the most energy each year and the washing machine uses the most water each year.
It's worth considering these issues for your other appliances too - they all contribute to your bills!
If you're choosing home entertainment equipment it pays to compare energy use - both when in use and when in 'standby' mode. Some appliances have an 'ENERGY STAR' label (different to the white goods star rating) which shows they are efficient in 'standby' mode.
Bigger television screens use more energy, and plasma screens tend to use more energy than LCD screens. Recent Australian research has found that, even when comparing televisions of similar screen size and type, some products use more than three times the energy of others. It's worth asking about energy use when making a purchase!
Checklist
Our fittings and appliances
- Does our home design make good use of natural light?
- Our lighting requirements:
- The costs of running our lighting per year:
- How we can save on lighting costs:
- The energy star rating of our fridge:
- The water star rating of our washing machine:
- Our other major energy-using appliances: