Resources for your home

Guides and toolkits

Save energy to save money

The Tasmanian Government’s SAVEenergy SAVEmoney guides outline the benefits of an energy efficient home and explain how you can save energy and money.

• Location and efficiency: the benefits of buying or renting an energy efficient home (PDF)
  When you’re looking to buy or rent a property, you’ll be thinking about things like price, location, size and even architectural style. A home’s energy efficiency may not always seem important at the time, but given the amount of long-term savings it can offer, it should be a higher priority.
• Change your behaviour: the little things that can deliver big savings (PDF)
  Making small changes to your habits and choices around the home can have a big impact on your energy use. Choosing to use energy more efficiently is one of the easiest ways to reduce energy bills and be environmentally friendly, while maintaining or even improving comfort levels.
• Star ratings: your guide to ongoing savings (PDF)
  Star rating schemes allow you to compare products’ operating costs and environmental performance. There are star ratings for appliances like fridges and washing machines, and energy ratings for houses.
  These comparisons allow us to make more informed choices by factoring the ongoing running costs and the greenhouse gas impacts of our decisions.
• The terms used in energy efficiency can be confusing, so this guide will help: Guide to energy efficiency terms (PDF)

Staying warm and saving money

Sustainable Living Tasmania, supported by the Tasmanian Government, has produced 'Stay warm and save money - A guide to reducing your energy bills', which provides simple suggestions to make your home more energy efficient. Copies are available from Service Tasmania shops, or read the guide on the TasCOSS website.

Home energy audit toolkits

These practical tools and information will help you conduct a simple home audit and discover easy ways to cut your household energy costs. The toolkits can be borrowed free of charge from all Tasmanian councils. Find your council’s contact details in the Tasmanian council directory.

Useful websites

Tasmanian information

Energy

• Aurora Energy’s energy saving hints and tips provides information on how to save energy in your home and reduce your household energy bill.
• The Tasmania Energy Saving Projects Resource webpage helps you find products and materials to make your home more energy efficient. It is aimed at people who want to carry out projects themselves, like insulating their hot water cylinder, and includes instructions and Tasmanian suppliers.

Transport

• Bicycle Network Tasmania advocacy group covers all forms of cycling and is part of the national Bicycle Network.

Home and garden

• Sustainable Living Tasmania is a not-for-profit organisation which provides impartial, expert practical advice like improving energy efficiency, installing insulation, building a comfortable low-bills home, gardening and conserving water.
• Good Life Permaculture provides a network and resources about permaculture, which is a system of landscape design that combines natural landscaping and edible gardening modelled on nature. David Holmgren, one of the founders of permaculture, explains what it is and the design principles on his Holmgren Design website.
• Eat Well Tasmania is a statewide program that provides support and assistance for activities or projects that promote enjoyable healthy eating.

Natural hazards

• The RiskReady website provides information of the natural hazard risks to your property and how to reduce the risk of damage. Natural hazards include bushfire, coastal erosion, coastal inundation and landslide.

National information

Energy

• Your Energy Savings
  This Australian Government website provides a broad range of information about saving energy, saving money and opportunities to access government rebates and other assistance.
• Energy rating guide for appliances
  Australia’s leading guide to choosing energy efficient appliances also offers a mobile phone app, so you can compare products whilst shopping.

Transport

• Green Vehicle Guide helps you by comparing Australian vehicles based on their greenhouse emissions.
• Australian Electric Vehicle Association (AEVA) rates Australian vehicles on their greenhouse emissions.
• Learn more about electric vehicles, including how they work and what it's like to own one:
  • My electric car website is run by a member of the Western Australian branch of the AEVA

Home and garden

• Your Home is a set of tools which was developed to encourage the design, construction or renovation of homes to be comfortable, healthy and more environmentally sustainable.
• Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) is a national system that regulates how Australian homes are rated for their thermal performance. It enables the design of a home to be assessed by skilled professionals, using sophisticated computer modelling programs. A NatHERS accredited assessor can suggest simple ways to make a home more comfortable, save energy and achieve building approvals.
• Sustainable House Day occurs every September and have an opportunity to visit environmentally progressive homes in your area. Homeowners invite you to tour their houses and learn how to integrate sustainable practices, like renewable energy, passive design, and rainwater harvesting, into your home and lifestyle.
• Freecycle offers a network of people in your area who donate and exchange unwanted goods for free; a great option for your next spring clean.