You can make a positive contribution to the environment and provide support for renewable technologies when you switch to greener energy.
There are a number of choices for green energy available to you. You can buy green power through your energy supplier, or offset (neutralise or counterbalance) some of the emissions you generate through your current use of energy. With a little more effort and upfront investment, you can also generate free, clean electricity at home.
See our information about renewable energy and green power options.
See also Your Home Technical Manual - Renewable energy.
How to buy green power
You can make sure that all or some of the power you use at home is green. All you need to do is:
- contact your electricity supplier and ask about green power
- choose the amount of green power you would like to buy
- sign up, and your energy provider will source renewable energy for you.
Visit the GreenPower website for a list of Accredited GreenPower products and retailers.
Carbon offset schemes
To make a difference to your impact on the environment you can participate in a carbon offset scheme or other energy-saving projects. A carbon offset scheme neutralises or counterbalances the amount of greenhouse gases you generate by planting trees, reducing waste at landfills or composting organic materials.
These and other such projects and services are provided by many businesses and community groups. See NCOS Carbon Neutral Program products and services for a list of certified companies and abatement activities to help you choose an offset scheme or provider of carbon neutral services and products.
How to generate electricity at home
You may be able to generate your own electricity at home by installing a solar, wind or small hydro system. Generating your own power can make a big difference to your energy bills. If you connect to the mains power grid, you are able to feed your excess energy back into the grid.
The first step to generating electricity at home is to do your research:
- Assess your electricity bills to determine your daily electricity use.
- Choose which system best suits your electricity needs and area. Some types of dwellings will not be suitable for these types of technologies – see green power for an alternative.
- Determine what you can afford to spend.
- Check out what types of rebates and assistance are available to you.
When you install a renewable energy system like solar power or wind turbines you have installed a zero-emission energy generation source. See our step-by-step guide to installing solar power.
To install wind turbines or generators, see Your Home Technical Manual - Wind systems and Rebates and assistance.
When you install solar hot water you could get between 50 and 90 per cent of your hot water for free and save up to $700 a year on your power bill. See our step-by-step guide to installing a solar hot water system.
