The following tips will help you to achieve this goal.
Small steps
Replace your regular light bulbs with eco-bulbs
Replacing your highest-use lights with CFLs can save on your power bill. They use 20% of the energy of other bulbs and produce the same amount of light. Put them in the five most-used areas of your home.
Medium steps
If you're changing your showerhead, consider installing a low-flow shower head
Installing a
low flow shower head can reduce water flow by nearly half, from 12 litres or more to seven litres a minute saving water and energy.
Choose energy efficient appliances — look for the Energy Star label or star rating
Use the
Energy Star website to choose products which use less energy.
If you're building, get advice on home energy efficiency
Talk to an Eco Design Advisor about what you can do to make your home healthier and more energy efficient. Check out the
Eco Design Advisor website for more information.
Choose durable, non-toxic, efficient building materials
Look for the Environmental Choice tick. These products have been made with the environment in mind. See the
Environmental Choice New Zealand website for details.
Choose water efficient products and appliances
Choose water efficient appliances and products, such as washing machines, dishwashers, shower heads, toilets and taps for your new home. See the
water efficiency rating scheme page for more information.
Big steps
Wrap your hot water cylinder and pipes to stop heat escaping
If your water pipes are hot to touch, valuable heat is escaping which is costing you money. Hot water cylinder wraps can be brought at most hardware stores and will reduce the amount of heat lost from the water in the cylinder.
When building or renovating re-use and recycle your materials
This will prevent some construction waste from going into landfills.
If you're building or renovating choose materials that retain heat naturally
Materials like polished concrete and brick absorb the sun’s heat and keep homes at a comfortable temperature, saving money on heating.
If you're building or renovating consider installing double glazing
Install
double glazed windows as they can halve the heat lost through a single glazed window.
