Assess Your Home's Sustainability
Like many of us, you might be thinking about ways to save money. A home sustainability assessment can help you to identify where you can save money through reducing energy and water usage.
The Australian Government currently runs the Home Sustainability Assessments program. It involves a qualified assessor visiting your home and conducting a physical inspection of major energy and water systems. It usually only takes an hour or two, at the end of which, you'll receive a comprehensive report outlining the actions you can take and what your expected savings could be.
How to do it now!
Apply for an Australian Government ‘Home Sustainability Assessment’. Visit the Australian Government Climate Change web site or call 1800 895 076 for more information on organising your free assessment
With your home sustainability report complete, you can indentify which actions will provide the biggest savings and which will not. Many will cost very little to implement while others may require a more significant initial investment. In these cases you may want to think about applying for a Green Loan with a bank or credit union to fund the action.
Apply for a Banking Green Loan.
A growing number of banking institutions are providing ‘green loans’ to their customers to enable home sustainability improvements and support the environment. To apply for a green home, car or personal loan, check out these banking institutions:
- Bendigo Bank - Home & Personal Loans
- MECU - Home & Car Loans
- The Saver Group is a South Australian owned business and an authorised partner in the discontinued Australian Government's Green Loans Program. They offer free Home Sustainability Assessments, giving expert advice on how to make your home a greener place to live and show you how to reduce your energy and water bills and increase your home comforts. The Saver Group can be contacted on 1800 442 520.
Why this action is important?
Many households may baulk or defer initiating practical energy and water saving improvements due to not being aware of what they are and how simple some are to implement. A ‘Green Loan’ allows households to fast track these improvements, cutting your energy and water bills and reducing your household's impact on the environment.