Home Power Saving Program…By Roz Hall, NSW Office of Environment and Heritage

The following guest blog post is by Roz Hall, the Director of Business and Community Programs at the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage…

When talking to people about our Home Power Saving Program, it’s clear that the increasing cost of electricity is driving many families to look for new ways to reduce their power use and save on bills.

Households are often already doing a lot to save energy around their homes, however people are often surprised to learn there is even more that they can do.

Here are some of our top tips to make your home warmer this winter, plus save money.

Block off any unused fire places to prevent heat from escaping
During the day, open your curtains to let sunlight heat your home, then close your curtains at night to keep the heat in
Close off rooms that you aren’t using to keep the heat in rooms you are using
Heat rooms to a comfortable temperature. Every one degree of extra heating will increase your heating costs by 15 %
Switch off TVs and other appliances at the wall when not in use
If you are using electric hot water, install a water saving showerhead.

The Home Power Saving Program has already helped over 95,000 households to reduce their power use with the following:

FREE one hour in-home Power Assessment by an energy expert who amongst other things, tests all their appliances and tells them how much electricity each uses
FREE kit of energy efficient products (valued at around $200) installed FREE by the energy expert
FREE Power Savings Action Plan with tips on using electricity more efficiently.

Check if you are eligible for the program – click here

To be eligible for the program you need to be a resident of NSW, plus hold one of the following cards: Centrelink Pensioner Concession or Low Income Health Care Card, Department of Veterans’ Affairs Pension or Repatriation Health Cardholders (Gold or White); or rent government or community provided housing or are on a hardship assistance plan with their energy retailer.

If you are eligible to take part in the FREE Home Power Saving Program, call 1300 662 416 today and start saving.

I’m interested to know your experiences or tips about saving power. Leave a comment or email me at info@savepower.nsw.gov.au

About the author: Roz Hall is the Director of Business and Community Programs at the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, and a proud 1 million women member. Roz oversees the NSW Government Save Power campaign, including the Save Power website, which more than 200,000 NSW residents have accessed.

For tips on reducing your power bills and protecting the environment: