As we use more energy, we all face rising power costs and major environmental decisions. Energy efficiency offers significant benefits to us all, both as individuals, and as a country.

Save Money

Insulation in the ceiling can cut heat losses by around 40%; under-floor insulation can cut losses by up to 15%.  Hot water accounts for around 40% of total power costs in most homes. Many families use as much as 200 litres of hot water per day – solar water heating will reduce the cost of heating your household's water by up to 75%. Energy Options is an industry leader in the design, specification and installation of solar water heating systems. Check out these smart  tips to help you reduce your water heating consumption and costs. Click here for the Water Heating Action Sheet. If your hot water cylinder feels warm to the touch, heat is escaping from it: a Novawrap cylinder cover will keep the heat in and save you more money. Cost-effective and easy to install we can deliver a Novawrap DIY kit to your door within days of your order. If your hot water cylinder has seen better days, you will want to talk to Energy Options about a cylinder from our extensive range of efficient, solar compatible hot water storage options. Energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs are a simple way to save money. If every homeowner in New Zealand simply replaced their home’s five most-used lights with energy-efficient bulbs, New Zealand would save 5% of its domestic energy! These light bulbs cost more, but they last around 10,000 hours, and they use as little as 20% of the electricity of a standard bulb. See consumer.co.nz for a detailed comparison of energy-efficient lights or contact us for advice on your lighting needs. There are many other things you can do to be energy-efficient and save money: put up thermal curtains, close doors and stop draughts, turn off unneeded lights, do a cold wash in the laundry, take shorter showers, turn off 'standby' appliances at the wall. Find out more at www.energywise.org.nz

If you want to find out where your home could be saving you money through energy efficiency, call 0800 15 15 65 to arrange a free in home health check.  The assessment will take about one hour and one of our energy advocates will test energy efficiency aspects of your home such as your shower flow rate, hot water temperature, condition of your insulation, efficiency of your appliances, and much more. They will then provide recommendations to help you become more energy efficient.

New Zealand and the Environment

New Zealand faces huge energy challenges. The national power supply is not keeping up with increasing electricity consumption. That means more power needs to be generated: the country needs to invest in new hydro (dams), wind, or thermal (coal or gas powered) electricity generation.

As well as costing hundreds of millions of dollars, these options all raise huge environmental issues for New Zealand.

Hydro and wind electricity generation impact on the local environment. Thermal power generation creates carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming. There are also major issues with the placement of new high-voltage transmission lines.

By being more energy efficient as individuals, New Zealand’s existing power supply will cope for longer. That will benefit all of us and the generations to come.