Sustainable Homes

You don't need to be building a new house before you start to think about sustainability. Even if you plan to continue to live in an existing dwelling, take some time out to think about how you can make your home more sustainable.

And, even if you rent the house you live in, there are still many options available to you to create a sustainable home.

Hot Water

How you heat your water can make an enormous difference to the environment. It takes a lot of energy to heat water. As well as having an impact on the environment, this can have a huge impact on your wallet too - energy can be very expensive.

Installing a solar powered hot water system can reduce your costs significantly. This is especially true if you have a large family.

Here are some options for installing a more sustainable hot water system:

• Install a brand new solar, gas boosted hot water system
• Install a brand new solar, electric boosted hot water system
• Retrofit/Preheat to an existing hot water system
• Install a heat pump hot water system. Only do this if your house is in a very shady spot.

Power

Electricity is still a major culprit of greenhouse gases but you can do something about it - ensure your power comes from renewable sources.

Try one of the following options:

• Install your own solar tiles. By installing your own solar tiles, you can generate your own electricity from the sun's energy. You may even be able to have your solar powered electricity supply connected to the local electricity grid, so that you can sell your electricity back to the electricity companies. Although expensive to install, in the long term, this could save you a lot of money.
• If you don't have the cash to install your own solar tiles, you may still be able to use "green electricity". Many electricity companies are supplying "green power", or, electricity that has come from renewable sources. All you need to do is call your electricity company to find out if they have a "green" option, then sign up. It's as simple as that!

  Currently, using green power is slightly more expensive than greenhouse emitting power, but if enough of us choose this option, it will become cheaper. Check with your local electricity companies to see if they offer this option.

Kitchens

• Use gas for your cooktops. Gas is cheaper to run and it produces around half the greenhouse gas that an electric cooktop produces
• Use an energy efficient refrigerator/freezer. Fridges and freezers can be responsible for around 20% of your household's greenhouse emissions, so this is an important one. Look for a fridge/freezer with a 5 star energy rating. Also, don't buy a large fridge if you don't need it. Think about how much energy is needed to cool down the extra space! Also, avoid fridges with ice makers. Ice makers use lots of energy.

Bathrooms

• Install an energy efficient shower head
• Install a water efficient toilet, and make sure it includes a half flush option
• You might even like to try a dry composting toilet (which use no water), or a wet composting toilet. Wet composting toilets are relatively new and are designed to mimic a rainforest eco system. These toilets filter and recycle the water so that it can be used on the garden, or to reflush the toilet again. These are currently quite expensive, but let's hope, not for long.

Laundry

• Use a water and energy efficient washing machine
• Get rid of the clothes dryer! These things are appalling for the amount of energy they use. Don't be lazy - hang your clothes out to dry. If you live in a cold/wet climate, only use the clothes dryer as a last resort. Even if you start by hanging your clothes out, then finishing them off in the clothes dryer if you need your clothes in a hurry.

Use a Compost Bin

Place all kitchen waste, lawn and garden clippings into a compost bin. This reduces landfill, is good for the soil, and saves on fertiliser (compost is great for the garden).

Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD)

There are many things you can do with the design of your home to reduce water wastage. Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) concentrates on retaining rainwater within your own property so that you can re-use it for other purposes, or so it can filter into the ground naturally. This prevents water running off your property and becoming contaminated as it makes its way through the drainage system, then probably into the ocean. Using rainwater to water your garden can also reduce your water bills.

An excellent example of WSUD is having a rainwater tank, then re-using the stored water for toilet flushing and watering the garden on drier days.

Rainwater Tanks

Installing a rainwater tank is a great way to reduce the amount of water we use from the town's water supplies. The more we store and use our own rainwater, the less we will need environmentally damaging dams and desalination plants etc.

Try one of the following options:

• A very simple way of re-using rainwater is to install an "above ground tank" on a small stand. Once this fills with rainwater, you can use the contents to water the garden.
• An even more efficient thing to do is to connect your rainwater tank/s to indoor plumbing, such as toilets and laundry (as well as the garden). Using a modest size tank of around 2000 - 4000L can save you 50-70% of household water.

Use Native Plants

Native plants usually attract local wildlife and therefore, helps keep the species alive and well. If you live in a warmer climate, native plants will generally require less water. These plants will often require less maintenance and fertiliser too.

Rebates

Many governments (state and federal) provide rebates for those who install energy efficient items such as rainwater tanks, solar hot water systems, solar panels etc.

Check to see if you're eligible for a rebate - this can provide you with an extra incentive to make your home more sustainable.