1. Assess your energy provider
Chat to your energy supplier about their commitment to renewables and consider joining one that’s investing in this space. At Origin, our ambition is to lead the energy transition through cleaner energy and customer solutions. As part of our Climate Transition Action Plan, we’ve set a range of sustainability targets and are evolving our energy portfolio to include more renewable energy sources like wind, solar and batteries.
We’re also helping everyday Aussies make the switch to a lower-emission future with access to GreenPower – a government led program that’s all about putting more renewable energy into the grid. When you sign up you can choose to add either 25%, 50% or 100% GreenPower to your energy plan. Whichever option you choose, the equivalent percentage of your electricity consumption is annually matched with renewable energy back into the grid.
2. Use the three Rs
The three Rs are reduce, reuse and recycle. The concept is fairly straightforward: it’s all about curbing the amount of waste your household sends to landfill.
Reducing involves minimising the overall waste you put out. It could mean phasing out single-use items like plastic bags, bottles and packaged goods like pantry staples (such as rice) or cleaning products, and replacing them with refillable, or reusable, alternatives.
Reusing is finding new functions for items you no longer use. Old clothes, homewares, appliances and toys can be donated, sold or given away, or even repurposed into something else.
Lastly, recycling doesn’t just apply to the items you throw in your kerbside bin. You may find recycling options in your local area for all kinds of household goods, including electrical items, batteries, white goods, mattresses, clothing and furniture.
3. Switch out energy and water-sapping fittings
They may seem like small fry, but fittings such as light bulbs and shower heads require a lot of energy and water. In fact, lighting alone makes up 10% of the average Aussie home’s electricity budget.
To significantly cut your energy use, replace all your light bulbs with LEDs. These bulbs use around 75% less energy than traditional halogen varieties, and they last up to 10 times longer.
As far as your shower head goes, consider installing a low-flow solution. Don’t let the name fool you – low-flow shower heads use up to 60% less water but often deliver the same level of pressure by mixing the water with air. Just make sure you keep the old shower head in case you need to reinstall it when you move out.
4. Look to the outdoors
Even if you’re renting, it’s entirely possible to set up a greener garden or balcony (at least, as far as the environment is concerned). Purchase a compost bin where you can place discarded items like fruit and vegetable scraps, bread and cereals, coffee grounds, used tea leaves and garden waste. Just avoid animal products like meats, fats and dairy. You can then use the compost as fertiliser on your indoor or outdoor plants.
Another way to make your outdoor area more eco-friendly is to collect rainwater. Don’t worry, there’s no need to ask your landlord to install a rainwater tank. Simply place a large barrel in your garden or on your balcony to harvest water, then use it to irrigate your plants.
5. Smarten up your devices
Smart devices are incredibly handy tools – not least because they can help you monitor and curb your home’s energy consumption. Products like smart thermostats and smart energy meters can be tricky to install if you’re renting (because they can involve some finicky hard wiring) but there are several other options that don’t require any electrical work.
Smart plugs with in-built energy monitoring are a great example; they sit between your wall and appliance to turn any device into a smart one. You can then check how much energy it’s using and operate it remotely via your smartphone or tablet.
You’re probably also familiar with the dreaded ‘vampire power‘. This is when appliances are turned off but still consuming energy in standby mode, which is estimated to contribute up to 10% of your energy bill.
Forget spending ages each night switching everything off at the wall. Using a smart power board, you can plug in multiple devices and schedule individual ones to turn on and off (completely) when you want. Alternatively, invest in a few smart plugs and you can set timers to automatically turn off appliances like TVs, computers and lamps.
How do Aussie’s feel about energy-efficient features?
In partnership with the REA Group, we’ve launched the PropTrack Origin Australian Home Energy Report, analysing the motivations and challenges for Aussies to adopt energy-efficient initiatives at home. The report aims to help understand the sentiment of all Australians, whether they rent or own, towards energy efficiency.
This article was originally published as 5 easy hacks for renters to ensure your home is environmentally friendly.
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