Bugger Direct Action, households can do it by themselves

A new initiative to help Australian households aim for peak energy efficiency, thermal comfort and zero emissions has been released – and according to Beyond Zero Emissions, it could deliver carbon pollution reductions far beyond Australia’s current targets.

The BZE initiative, launched on Tuesday at the National Energy Efficiency Conference in Sydney, outlines nine steps to “energy freedom” for Australian households, including the use of energy efficiency measures and rooftop solar.

“Australians are already embracing energy efficiency, as evidenced by the decline in electricity use since 2010 – previous to that it had increased in most years. This trend will no doubt continue as electricity and gas prices continue to rise significantly” said BZE CEO Dr Stephen Bygrave.

Bygrave says that beyond saving households energy and money, the Energy Freedom initiative outlines how Australia’s residential sector can make a substantial contribution to meeting the nation’s current emissions reduction targets.

“More than that, following Energy Freedom will deliver even higher reductions in carbon pollution than Australia’s current targets, aligning us more closely with international actions to combat climate change,” said Dr Bygrave.

The initiative is also about increasing thermal comfort in a warming world, he adds.

“As we prepare for a summer even hotter than the last, it’s important that our homes are comfortable to live in at the same time as reducing peak energy demand.

“The changing climate means an increase in the extreme heatwaves that endanger our most vulnerable. We need to be planning to ensure that those people can survive in their homes through the Australian summer.”

According to BZE, the nine steps to Energy Freedom are:

·         Insulation

·         Rooftop Solar

·         Lighting with LED’s

·         Draught proofing

·         Hot water systems that use solar or heat-pump technology

·         In home displays – Real-time monitoring of energy use

·         Heating and Cooling efficiently

·         Cooking and Appliances – high efficiency induction cooking

·         Double and triple glazing