- Appliances
Turn off televisions etc when not in use instead of leaving them on standby. Computers, televisions, etc which are put on standby or left running when not in use, are referred to as ‘phantom load’. The phantom load in the US of A equals the entire electricity used in Peru, Greece, and Vietnam combined!—Greenpeace Solar Pioneers Newsletter, Issue 8 Spring ’99
Buy energy efficient appliances when upgrading.
Use rechargeable items (such as torches) or buy rechargeable batteries and a charger.
- Building
Use only timber from sustainabily grown forests - beware of timber from rain forests and native wood. See the Timber category on our Resources page for more information.
- Cleaning
See the Cleaners category on our Resources page for alternatives to chemical cleaning.
- Cooking
Plan ahead and leave frozen foods to thaw naturally before cooking.
A microwave uses only half the amount of electricity as a stove.—Consumer Home & Garden Issue 45 1998
Turn off the stove and elements a couple of minutes before the cooking is finished.
Keep the lid on pots when cooking.
Cooking accounts for around 7% of your power bill.—Greenpeace Solar Pioneers Newsletter, Issue 8 Spring ’99
- Garden
Use a hand mower instead of a petrol one. In half an hour a 4-stroke mower emits as much pollution as a 1995 car in 160km of mixed driving—American magazine Horticulture
Water the garden in the evening when evaporation is less.
- Heating
Wear a jumper instead of turning the heater on. Heat only rooms which are in use.
Close the curtains soon after the sun sets to retain existing heat.
Insulate the roof—around 40% of the heat escapes through here. Fix drafts; install thick curtains or attach blackout lining to existing curtains.
Space heating accounts for around 20% of your power bill.—Greenpeace Solar Pioneers Newsletter, Issue 8 Spring ’99
- Lighting
Turn off lights when not in use.
Install energy efficient light bulbs, particularly for lights left on for long periods—they use about a 1/4 of the energy and last ten times longer.
Lighting accounts for around 6% of your power bill.—Greenpeace Solar Pioneers Newsletter, Issue 8 Spring ’99
- Recycle
Use the council supplied recycling bin.
Use a compost bin for the garden (avoid meat scraps which may attract animals). Not putting greenwaste in landfills reduces leachate and methane production.
Don’t incinerate rubbish.
Wellington produces 200,000 tonnes of rubbish a year, or 1.43 tonnes for every man, woman, and child.—Watching Our Waste, Wellington City Council, Tumeke Pōneke
- Reduce
Put a ‘No junk mail’ sign on your letterbox.
Phone up companies and ask to be removed from their mailing lists rather than just throwing away their advertising.
- Reuse
Reuse wrapping paper from birthday and Christmas presents.
Reuse envelopes (but cross out the electronic pink post code in the lower right corner).
Donate old clothes to ‘Op’ shops or clothing bins.
Find old appliances and household items a good home through the free column in Trade & Exchange or the Recycling Centre at the Southern Landfill (tip).
- Save Energy
Use the sun and wind to dry clothes.
- Water Conservation
Fix leaking taps.
Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth.
Install a dual flush toilet cistern or try placing a brick in the cistern.
MYTH: Water from the tap is unlimited and arrives at your house free. FACT: Water is an expensive item costing the city $24 million a year. A single streaming tap can waste more than 50,000 litres a year. Leaking taps waste a significant amount of water each year.—Wellington City Council, Tumeke Pōneke
A three minute shower uses about 30 litres of water, a bath 100 litres.—Ministry for the Environment, Manatū Mō Te Taiao
- Water Heating
Hot water heating can account for 50% of your power bill!
Try washing clothes in cold water and wait for a full load before washing
Fill the kettle from the cold tap and only as much water as you need. It uses less energy to boil cold water than draw hot water from the cylinder.—Consumer Home & Garden Issue 45 1998
If your hot water cylinder doesn’t have a ‘Watermark’ Grade A sticker or was installed before 1988 a cylinder wrap will pay for itself in a year.—Consumer Home & Garden Issue 45 1998
Install wrapping around the hot pipes (the first metre from the cylinder is the most important).
Set your hot water cylinder no higher than 60°.
Showers are cheaper to run than baths, and a low-flow shower head will save further.
Think about purchasing a solar hot water heating system. The sun can heat 50-80% of your hot water.