This week, thousands of cities across the globe will dim their lights at 8.30pm for an hour, joining in the world’s largest voluntary environmental action: Earth Hour. Scheduled for the last Saturday of every March – closely coinciding with the equinox to ensure that most cities are in darkness as it rolls out around the [...]

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A Newspoll survey conducted late last year showed many Australians plan to keep rising energy prices in check by closing curtains, washing clothes in cold water and taking shorter showers – but how much does any of that actually affect the average power bill? Apparently, quite a bit. By matching the five most popular energy-saving [...]

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Well here are the next five tips to help you go green without breaking the bank. 6. Green Kris Kringle We’ve all heard of Kris Kringle – the holiday season group gift exchange game with a maximum limit on how much you can spend per gift ($5, $10, etc.). For Green Kris Kringle, instead of [...]

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The benefits of natural light, minimal aircon and natural carpets have been shown to have positive benefits for office workers.  Beyond the obvious savings in cost and energy, employees are happier, healthier and more productive.  And remember, you don’t need a carbon tax to become more aware of CO2 emissions. A recent article in The [...]

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Kitchen and laundry appliances consume around 20 per cent of a home’s energy. Selecting efficient products can offer substantial long-term savings. Choosing household appliances carefully can have a major effect on your energy bills as well as helping “green” the planet. Advanced technology has assisted in developing more efficient whitegoods that significantly decrease the energy [...]

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Hundreds of thousands of new homes across the country are not performing at their promised energy efficiency rating. The result is residents are using up to double the predicted energy required for heating and cooling, industry officials say.Research by air-tightness testing company Air Barrier Technologies has shown that air leakage in new homes is five [...]

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Australia’s biggest office landlords are switching off lights and installing more efficient air conditioners ahead of rules demanding reporting of energy use in the nation with the developed world’s second-highest greenhouse gas emissions per person. The largest property managers are ahead of legislation which comes into effect Nov. 1 requiring owners to reveal office buildings’ [...]

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Would you pay more for an energy-efficient house? Or one that was water-wise? When we polled our readers 62 per cent said they wanted the house they were buying to be eco-friendly, my first reaction was to ask; Are people just saying that? Or are they following through and voting with their wallets. Here is [...]

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LABOR’S push to cut greenhouse gas emissions through the use of energy efficiency schemes was yesterday dealt another blow when building industry heavyweights discredited the star ratings being applied to hundreds of thousands of homes. Investigations by the building industry have found that the mandatory star ratings scheme is inaccurate and fundamentally flawed. The Housing [...]

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