AN architect who sets out to design a sustainable house can control its design and fabric but not how the building is to be used.
Your building may be the most efficient building ever built, but if you leave windows open in winter, your heating costs will be high.
If you use inefficient appliances, your bills will be high.
If you run an airconditioner every day, irrespective of the temperature, guess what - your bills will be high.
Get advice from your architect or builder about which appliances, taps, toilets, etc are the best to use.
The star rating labels tell you how much power an appliance uses or you can go to the government website energyrating.gov.au and compare appliances.
With this information, you can calculate how much money you can save over a year of use.
Sydney has a relatively mild climate — there are only a handful of days that are excessively hot or cold.
A well designed house does not need to be airconditioned, which will save you a lot of money.
Ceiling fans are significantly cheaper to run and if they are reversible, then in winter they will push the rising hot air back down again, saving on your heating costs.
Be aware of what energy you are paying for. Does your home have an army of red lights on when you go to bed?
All of those devices in standby mode are still using energy. Not a lot, but you are still paying for it, so turn them off when not being used.
The best designed home will only be energy efficient if you are energy efficient.
Details: Craig Taylor, red blue architecture + design, 9114 6767, info@redblue.com.au
