Save energy and lower your energy bills

Saving energy at home is a great way to save money and take action on the climate emergency.

Darebin households generate about 38% of Darebin's total carbon emissions from gas and electricity use. Many households are also struggling to pay their power bills. By using less energy in our homes, we can reduce our emissions and reduce our power bills.

Help with your energy bills 

Do you need help reducing your energy bills? If you're on a low income you can get support from DIVRS by calling 9480 8200 or contact Anglicare on 1800 531 741 and ask for their Energy Assistance Program. You can find great tips on how to understand you bill and make sure you're getting all the right concessions at the DIVRS website.   

General tips for saving energy and money in your home

Before you start, make sure you're on the best energy plan. The Australian Energy Regulator says switching plans can save customers more than $400 a year. Use the Victorian Energy Compare website to get you started. If you don’t want to change your energy retailer, give them a call to see if they have a better deal for you – they often do!

1. Reduce energy use – use natural light, passive heating, and passive cooling where possible.
   • Insulate and draught proof your home to keep summer heat out and winter heat in and reduce the need for additional heating and cooling. A fully insulated home can reduce the cost of heating and cooling a home by around 40—50% and can pay for itself in as little as five years.
   • Check out these great DIY videos on how to draught proof your house
   • Cover your windows: up to 40 per cent of the heat escaping from your home in winter is from uncovered windows. Use heavy, lined curtains which extend below the window frame or honeycomb blinds to insulate your windows and help stop heat from escaping your rooms in winter and entering in summer.
   • Borrow one of our household energy toolkits from Darebin Libraries, to help assess where you're losing energy in your home
2. Use energy efficiently – choose efficient lighting such as LED and select appliances with a high Energy Star Rating
   • You may be eligible for other rebates if you upgrade to energy efficient appliances: check out the Victorian government's Energy website for details
   • Only heat or cool rooms you are using – or just yourself. If no one’s in a room, there’s little reason to heat or cool it. Close vents and doors to rooms you aren’t using to keep warm/cool air where you need it most. You can also embrace methods of personal heating and cooling, where you heat or cool yourself, not your room, by using items like UGG boots, electric blankets, heating pads, or mini USB fans.
   • Energy efficiency tips at home(PDF, 706KB) from The Energy Charter
   • Easy English Guide on How to save energy and save money(PDF, 2MB) from Scope Australia
3. Go Electric - efficient electric appliances save you money, reduce emissions and are better for your health than gas appliances
   • Find out more at our Go Electric page
   • Use renewable energy – consider installing solar panels and/or solar hot water, and buy renewable energy or switch to GreenPower.
   • Offset your remaining emissions

The Sustainability Victoria website and this comprehensive EnviroShop resource have plenty of tips about how to save energy at home. If you are looking to build or renovate your home, Your Home has a wealth of information including free 7+ star house designs.

Energy saving guide for renters

If you're renting, there's a lot you can do to use less energy in your home and reduce your power bills. Check out our Energy Efficiency tips for Renters(PDF, 294KB). We also give you some handy tips on how to get help if you're struggling to pay your bills.

Our energy efficiency tips for renters are also available in the following community languages:

Language - Download information sheet

English - Energy Efficiency tips for Renters(PDF, 294KB)

Arabic - نصائح كفاءة الطاقة للمستأجرين(PDF, 422KB)

Farsi - نکات استفاده بهینه از انرژی برای مستأجران(PDF, 559KB)

Vietnamese - Các Gợi ý Tiết kiệm Năng lượng dành cho người thuê nhà(PDF, 468KB)

Chinese - 租客节能小窍门(PDF, 1MB)

Greek - Συμβουλές ενεργειακής απόδοσης για ενοικιαστές(PDF, 393KB)

Macedonian - Совети за енергетска ефикасност за луѓето што живеат во изнајмени(PDF, 312KB)

Household energy efficiency toolkits

Household energy efficiency toolkits are now available through Darebin Libraries! Free for Darebin Library members, our kits contain easy-to-use tools to help you work out what’s using the most power in your home, and how you can reduce it. Each kit contains a detailed instruction guide, and our top ten tips for simple ways to improve energy efficiency in your home and save money on your power bills.

There are eight kits, two for each library branch, as well as four thermal imaging cameras for loan.

Our libraries team has also put together a great reading list for information on energy efficiency and how we can all take action on climate change by reducing our household emissions. And keep an eye out for some upcoming info sessions to help you learn more.

So pop into a branch today to borrow a kit, and start reducing your energy use!

Top 10 tips for keeping your home cool in summer

Here are top tips for keeping your home cool and saving money during summer:

1. Block the heat - shade your windows
   Stopping heat getting into your house in the first place with appropriate external shading means spending less on cooling. Shade windows and walls using external coverings, like blinds, awnings or large potted plants. Plant deciduous trees that cast shade over your home in summer, but still let the sun shine through in winter.
2. Close your blinds
   Keep your blinds closed, especially on north and west-facing windows. Better yet, invest in some block-out curtains to shield your home from that harsh summer sun.
3. Use personal fans and adjust ceiling fans
   Sometimes, a fan is all you need for some welcome cooling air. Since fans cost only $5—$20 per season to run, using them as much as possible helps lower your energy bill. If you have ceiling fans, set them to rotate counter-clockwise in summer to push air straight down, helping to create a cooling effect (and clockwise in winter to pull cool air up).
4. Set your temperature wisely
   If you must use your air-conditioner, set the thermostat to between 24—27°C, or as high as you feel comfortable. Increasing your thermostat by just 1°C in warm weather can reduce the running cost of your AC by about 10 per cent.
5. Only heat or cool occupied areas
   If no one’s in a room, there’s little reason to heat or cool it. Close doors to rooms you aren’t using to keep cool air where you need it most. Room sensors, smart controls, and timers for your heating and cooling can be used or get in the habit of turning it off when you leave.
6. Keep doors and windows closed and seal gaps
   Keep your doors and windows closed as much as possible. Seal gaps around doors and windows and use draught excluders to ensure the cool air can’t escape. Evaporative air-conditioners will be more effective if you open some doors and windows to increase air flow through the home.
7. Maintain AC and clean the filter regularly
   Use the maintenance schedule contained in your air conditioner’s manual. This will head off many energy-sapping or expensive-to-fix issues before they even begin. Clogged filters make your air conditioner work much harder to produce the same effect; for optimum energy use, clean or replace them every 1—2 months.
8. Insulate your house
   A fully insulated home compared to a non-insulated home can reduce the cost of heating and cooling a home by around 40—50%.
9. Buy an energy efficient split system air conditioner
   If you have a ducted air conditioner system, you’re spending $100—$300 more per season than you need to. Energy efficient split system air conditioners are not only cheaper to buy and install, but also cheaper to run for both cooling and heating. Either have your outdoor air conditioner component installed in a shady place or protect it from direct sunlight with an awning. This will help it run more efficiently and protect it from overheating.
10. Go solar
    This is the biggest investment but can also provide the biggest savings. Solar systems can save their owners 30—60% on their energy bills and pay for themselves in 3—7 years. Check out our Solar Saver program to make the process easy.

Keep cool in Darebin map

Download the "Keep cool in Darebin" Map(PDF, 5MB). This is your guide to where to cool down, get a drink of water and access help on a hot day in Darebin – for free.

For a hard copy of the map, please email climateemergency@darebin.vic.gov.au.

Webinar recording - "Keep cool, save money"

To learn more about how you can keep cool and save money this summer, check out our webinar recording. Our friends at Uniting give practical advice on how to keep your house cool and save on your electricity and gas bills.

Watch the "Keep Cool Save Money" webinar or you can view the slides from the webinar(PDF, 3MB).

Keep cool postcards

Download our handy postcard(PDF, 3MB) for some great tips on keeping cool in your home.