Poor energy performer - a bit like me
Jan. 17th, 2009 11:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mrsbrownExcept it's my house.
I did my budget today and finally had my utility bills for a year all in the one place so I rated my home with the NABERS tool.
The good news is that I have a 5 star rated home for my water usage. I suspect that's not hard - I don't water a garden (except for the rhubarb plant and two strawberry plants, and that with a shower bucket), I have a low flow shower head, and we (mostly) don't have 30minute showers.
The bad news is that for energy usage we rate only 2 stars. Our house is a "below average performer". When I include my 25% Greenpower, it improves to an "above average performer" with 3 stars, so I suppose that's good then.
The NABERS website suggests that I should replace incandescent lights with compact fluorescents (done), replace showerheads with low flow showerhead (done), shut curtains and doors when heating or cooling (could improve our draught situation, and I should get those curtains organised, but we always close the doors and gas usage is a minor part of this problem), and switch to Greenpower (done).
I suspect our problem is with lights on all day (in the kitchen and family rooms, the repainted kitchen should help), and standby power. Looking around my family room, I see 4 electronic devices on and 4 transformers plugged in even though only 2 are active. In the study, I know there are possibly as many as 4 computers on and nobody using them and the microwave and stove both have electric clocks. I think MsNotaGoth might have 2 or 3 computers going too.
I need to bring the power meter home from work to quantify what's going on with all these devices and then train people to be cleverer with them. I also need a power board with a switch, so I can turn off all the media electronics at once.
BTW. the kitchen painting is on track. We will paint the floor tomorrow!
I did my budget today and finally had my utility bills for a year all in the one place so I rated my home with the NABERS tool.
The good news is that I have a 5 star rated home for my water usage. I suspect that's not hard - I don't water a garden (except for the rhubarb plant and two strawberry plants, and that with a shower bucket), I have a low flow shower head, and we (mostly) don't have 30minute showers.
The bad news is that for energy usage we rate only 2 stars. Our house is a "below average performer". When I include my 25% Greenpower, it improves to an "above average performer" with 3 stars, so I suppose that's good then.
The NABERS website suggests that I should replace incandescent lights with compact fluorescents (done), replace showerheads with low flow showerhead (done), shut curtains and doors when heating or cooling (could improve our draught situation, and I should get those curtains organised, but we always close the doors and gas usage is a minor part of this problem), and switch to Greenpower (done).
I suspect our problem is with lights on all day (in the kitchen and family rooms, the repainted kitchen should help), and standby power. Looking around my family room, I see 4 electronic devices on and 4 transformers plugged in even though only 2 are active. In the study, I know there are possibly as many as 4 computers on and nobody using them and the microwave and stove both have electric clocks. I think MsNotaGoth might have 2 or 3 computers going too.
I need to bring the power meter home from work to quantify what's going on with all these devices and then train people to be cleverer with them. I also need a power board with a switch, so I can turn off all the media electronics at once.
BTW. the kitchen painting is on track. We will paint the floor tomorrow!
