Switch to greener energy

You 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 take up some right away when you buy green power through your energy supplier, or offset some of the emissions you generate through your current use of energy. With a little more effort and upfront costs, 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.

See also Greenhouse Friendly™ products and services for a list Greenhouse Friendly™ certified companies and abatement activities.

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 might be 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 renewable energy system like solar power or wind turbines you have installed a zero-emission energy 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 solar hot water.

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 Greenhouse Friendly products and services for a list of Greenhouse Friendly™ certified companies and abatement activities, to help you choose an offset scheme or provider of carbon neutral services and products.

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