In some parts of Australia, removing a gas connection is complicated. Thankfully for me it was a smooth process.
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Disconnecting the gas
Category: Going green
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Kitchen renovation
I finally renovated my kitchen, and now my house is gas-free
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Electric cooking
Trying out cooking with electricity instead of gas
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Tracking your electricity usage
I’ve written previously about moves to reduce my carbon footprint. I was wondering if it’s possible to get better electricity data… and it turns out it is. With thanks to a post on the Facebook “My Efficient Electric Home” group, it turns out the electricity distributors have a way for you to get half-hourly data ... [More]
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Electric buses are coming
On Saturday I had my first brief ride in an electric bus. The electric bus seemed much quieter than itâs diesel cousins. And no engine vibration while idling. And no fumes of course.Great to see more electric buses coming into service – hopefully with ongoing investment in route reform and more frequent services.đ pic.twitter.com/AsVFhGWdKI â ... [More]
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Cutting my household emissions
I’ve been on a long term course to reduce my household emissions, so this little list caught my eye: One by one on these (in a slightly different order): LED lighting – yes – I think all the CfLs have been replaced by LEDs. LEDs to me seem to be living up to expectations of ... [More]
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Green and red and yellow
The recent IPCC report is a reminder that we should all be doing what we can to minimise our environmental impact. Rather than big picture, right now I wanted to focus on rubbish going to landfill. I think it’s good that my local council, Glen Eira, have modified their rubbish collection. Since late July, the ... [More]
Not a transport post, though it does get a mention. Previously in my quest for a greener house: 2012: Better roof insulation 2015: External blinds 2017: Air conditioning (livingroom) 2019: Wall insulation 2020: Heat pump electric hot water (replacing gas-boosted solar hot water) I’ve got two new house upgrades to report on. Solar PV This ... [More]
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Solar panels on period homes
Solar panels on heritage homes are the perfect blend of old and new
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Getting into hot water
There’s a lot of doom and gloom from COVID-19 at the moment. So here’s something positive: I got a new hot water system. Twelve years ago this month I got solar hot water installed: a collector panel on the roof, a tank to store the water, and a gas booster. I thought it was going ... [More]
Improving my house’s heating and cooling and energy efficiency is an ongoing project. 2008 Solar hot water 2012 Ceiling fans and roof insulation 2015 External blinds 2017 Air-conditioning (a backwards step for energy efficiency, but a giant leap for comfort on very hot days) This week it was wall insulation. Obviously this is best fitted ... [More]
While my most pressing home renovation need is the bathroom (planning to do this the next time my sons are away on a trip), I was also thinking: Governments should be doing a lot more on climate change, but what are the major emissions in my home, and how could I decarbonise? The car. I ... [More]
I have an electric kettle. It’s pretty fast to boil water, but wow, does it burn up electricity. Here you can see our live electricity meter thingy on the fridge. On the left, a couple of lights are on, as well as the fridge and I think a computer was on as well. On the ... [More]
The entire country converted to Compact Fluorescent Light-globes years ago, which is great, as they use much less energy and have a longer life. Well, if you use them properly. For instance I don’t use CFLs in the bathroom/toilet, as these lights are generally on for short periods of time, and CFLs are better when ... [More]
Pondering adding to the solar hot water on my roof with PV panels for electricity generation. My last electricity bill says I used up 659 kWh in 92 days, costing $187.61 (only including the cost for power and the 100% GreenPower surcharge; excluding the $76.41 service charge which I’d incur no matter how much power ... [More]
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A record 9 days above 30 degrees
Thank goodness that scientists aren’t warning of any kind of permanent warming of the climate that might prove, y’know, dangerous — otherwise a record-breaking run of hot days might be a tad alarming. One shouldn’t jump to conclusions of course. As Jon Stewart quipped: “Global warming is a total hoax. And I’ll tell you how ... [More]