30 September 2008

• Showers are the biggest users of hot water in most homes.
• A 3-star water efficient showerhead can save more than 500 kilograms of greenhouse gas each year, if you have an electric hot water service.
• Take shorter showers – save up to half a kilogram of greenhouse gas for every minute.
• Each time we turn on a hot water tap, a litre or more of water that had been heated but has since cooled in the pipes runs down the drain before hot water is delivered. Doing this just 10 times a day generates about 200 kilograms of greenhouse gas each year, if you have an electric hot water service.
• Make sure the hot water system outlet pipe is well insulated and set the heater to 60ºC.
• If you have a solar hot water system, switch off the booster in the sunny months.
• Turn off your hot water system if you are going away for more than a few days. This can save 1.4 kilograms of greenhouse gas per day.
• Fix dripping taps. A leaky hot water tap, dripping at one drop a second, can waste up to $25 worth of hot water a year. Fixing it can save 100 kilograms of greenhouse gas per year for each tap.

Rudd Government's Economic Security Strategy