Do your own home energy audit

Transcription

1 Do your own home energy audit Are you spending too much on your energy bills? Find out how you use energy in the home and what you can do to start saving. $ sa.gov.au/energy

2 2 Do your own home energy audit How to complete your home energy audit Completing the audit is easy. Read the questions in the column and tick off your answers in the yes or no arrow boxes. If you answer no, follow the advice in the column. Saving energy includes the actions of everyone who lives in your home, so you may want to involve others when you complete your audit. Most efficient Least efficient Ask yourself, is this what I normally do at home? If the answer is yes, you re already doing the energy smart thing. If the answer is no, you could make savings by following the advice in the What you can do to save energy column. Yes No Follow the advice in this column to help you save energy at home and minimise your energy bills. Where you see the house icon, if you are renting you should ask your landlord before making the suggested changes. The information icon means there is more information on page 6 to help you with these actions. To complete some of the actions, you may need a stopwatch, bucket, thermometer and a map or compass. Tick off your answers to each question. When you re finished, you ll have a handy checklist of energy saving actions for your home. What uses energy in the home? The pie chart below shows the average energy use in an Australian home*. When saving energy, start by focusing on the largest energy users. Stand-by power 3% Heating & cooling 38% Cooking 4% Water heating 25% Lighting 7% Fridges & freezers 7% Other appliances 16% Swimming pool energy use The chart does not include homes with a swimming pool, as only about 10% of homes in Australia have them. A pool is likely to be one of the largest single users of energy in a home. A swimming pool will typically use around 2,187kWh to 3,103kWh per year #, depending on the type and size of the pump, how long it is run for each day and if the pool is heated. Running costs could be up to $1,000 a year. *Data based on Baseline Energy Estimates # Source: George Wilkenfeld and Associates, 2004, Analysis of the Potential for Energy Efficiency Measures for Domestic Swimming Pool and Spa Pool Equipment.

3 Do your own home energy audit 3 Heating and cooling Heating and cooling can account for over a third of your energy use. 38% 1 Do you only heat and cool rooms that are being used? 2 In winter, do you open curtains, blinds and external shades so the sun can heat your home? 3 When heating, do you set the temperature as low as you feel comfortable with? 4 In summer, do you shade windows to keep your home cool? 5 When cooling, do you set the temperature as high as you feel comfortable with? Yes No Consider closing doors to unused rooms so you only heat or cool the smallest possible area. If you have a ducted system it may already be divided into zones e.g. living areas and bedrooms. Make use of zones to only heat or cool occupied areas. Yes No Use the sun as free heating in cooler months. Sunlight shining directly onto north, east and west facing windows can produce the same amount of heat per square metre as a one bar radiator. Use a compass or refer to your street directory or online maps to determine which direction your windows face. North is normally the top of the page or screen. Yes No Most people will find a temperature between 18 C and 21 C comfortable for heating. Every 1 C higher adds 10% to the running costs of your heating appliance. Yes No In summer, close curtains and shade windows to minimise heat entering your home. Sunlight shining directly onto north, east and west facing windows can produce the same amount of heat per square metre as a one bar radiator. Use a compass or refer to your street directory or online maps to determine which direction your windows face. North is normally the top of the page or screen. Yes No Most people will find a temperature between 24 C and 27 C comfortable for cooling. Every 1 C lower adds 10% to the running costs of your cooling appliance. 6 Does your home have insulation? Yes No Consider having insulation installed in your ceiling and walls if you don t have it. If you have insulation already, ask a licensed insulation installer to check its effectiveness. 7 Have you sealed up gaps around doors and windows that let draughts in? 8 Do you use ceiling fans to assist your heating and cooling appliances? 9 When choosing a heating or cooling appliance, do you think about the: most appropriate type of appliance size of the appliance running cost or energy star rating of the appliance? 10 Do you maintain your heating and cooling appliances to ensure they operate efficiently? Yes No Use draught excluders, door and window seals or gap filler to prevent draughts. See page 6 for how to check for draughts. Important: when using a gas appliance, you must ensure you have adequate ventilation to avoid creating a serious health hazard. Yes No Ceiling fans create cool breezes in summer and can redirect warm air downwards in winter. Yes No The most appropriate type and size of heating or cooling appliance will depend on the number of people you are trying to heat or cool and whether you are heating or cooling a single spot, whole room or whole home. Generally, the larger the heating or cooling requirement, the higher the running cost. Contact the Energy Advisory Service on for advice specific to your situation. See back page for more contact details. Yes No Follow the manufacturer s maintenance instructions and have your appliances serviced regularly.

4 4 Do your own home energy audit Water heating Heating water for showers and clothes washing is a major energy user. 25% 1 Do your showers last for less than four minutes? Yes No Taking shorter showers will save water and reduce the energy needed to heat water. 2 Is your shower flow rate nine litres per minute or less? 3 Is there insulation on external water heater pipes? 4 Do you have a solar, electric heat pump or a five star energy rated gas water heater? 5 Do you ensure taps don t drip in your home? Yes No If the flow rate is more than nine litres per minute, consider installing a three star rated water saving shower head. To find out how to check your shower flow rate, see page 6. Yes No Insulate pipes with foam tubing, known as lagging, to prevent heat loss. See page 6 for how to insulate hot water pipes. Yes No Choose an energy efficient water heater when your current water heater needs replacing. Visit sa.gov.au/energy for advice on choosing a water heater. Yes No Have dripping taps fixed as soon as possible. Not only do they waste water, leaking hot water taps waste energy, too. Other appliances Running costs for all the appliances in a home can add up. 16% 1 Do you know how much power your appliances use? 2 Do you usually run your dishwasher and washing machine with a full load? Yes No If you know the input power of an appliance (e.g. 1,500 watts or 1.5kW), you can calculate how much it costs to run see page 7. You can also borrow a power meter from the Home Energy Toolkit see page 11. Yes No Washing a full load means fewer washes overall and reduces the amount of wasted energy and water. 3 Do you usually use the cold or lowest temperature setting on your washing machine and dishwasher? Yes No Generally, most of the energy used by a washing machine or dishwasher is for heating water. Modern washing powders can produce good results with cool or cold water, saving you more energy. 4 Do you hang your clothes out to dry? Yes No Dry clothes on a washing line or clothes airer when possible. Outside is better than inside, as it keeps moisture out of your home. Clothes dryers can use a lot of energy, so if you do use one, make sure to clean the lint filter regularly to ensure it is operating efficiently. 5 Do you use the energy and water rating labels to compare running costs when you purchase appliances? Yes No Consider the ongoing running costs when choosing an appliance. Energy and water efficient models will cost you less to run over the life of the appliance.

5 Do your own home energy audit 5 Fridges and freezers Most fridges and freezers are switched on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 7% 1 Do you only run one fridge and freezer? 2 When you purchase a new fridge and freezer, will you choose an energy efficient model that is the right size for your needs? 3 Is your fridge temperature between 3 C and 5 C? 4 Is your freezer temperature between -15 C and -18 C? 5 Are your fridges and freezers located in a cool, well ventilated area and out of direct sunlight? 6 Do your fridge and freezer doors seal properly? Yes No Only run additional fridges and freezers when necessary e.g. a bar fridge could be turned off when not required. The energy efficiency levels of fridges have improved significantly in the last decade. If you have an old fridge, consider replacing it or, if it is used as a second fridge, only run it when necessary. Yes No When you replace your old fridge or freezer, choose an energy efficient one. Choose the right size fridge or freezer first, then select the model with a high star rating on the energy rating label. Yes No Adjust your fridge temperature to between 3 C and 5 C. If colder, more energy is used, while higher temperatures allow food poisoning bacteria to grow. See page 6 for how to check the temperature. Yes No Adjust your freezer temperature to between -15 C and -18 C. See page 6 for how to check the temperature. Yes No The hotter the location of the fridge, the harder it has to work. If you have a fridge or freezer outside or in a shed or garage, consider moving it somewhere cooler. Move indoor units to a cooler location if possible or shade windows to stop direct sunlight. Ensure air can circulate around all sides. Yes No Replace door seals if ineffective. See page 6 for how to check your door seals. 7 Is there less than 5mm of frost build-up in your freezer? Yes No Defrost your freezer regularly. An auto defrost model should do this automatically. Lighting Make a habit of switching off lights when you leave a room. 7% 1 Do you turn off lights when you leave a room? Yes No Leaving lights on in an empty room wastes energy and adds to your bills. Make a habit of turning off lights. 2 Do you have energy efficient lights, such as fluorescents or LEDs? 3 If you have outdoor lighting, is it operated by motion sensors? Yes No Fluorescents, compact fluorescents and LED lights are much more energy efficient than traditional incandescent or halogen lights. Consider replacing inefficient lights with energy efficient lights, particularly when you have groups of halogen downlights. Yes No If you regularly leave your outdoor lights on, consider installing sensor lights so they only come on with movement and turn off after a short period. 4 Do you use low wattage lights? Yes No Select a light with the lowest wattage for your needs; it costs less to run.

6 6 Do your own home energy audit Cooking Use smaller cooking appliances when you can. 4% 1 Does your oven door seal properly? Yes No Replace door seals if ineffective. See below for more information on checking door seals. 2 Do you use small kitchen appliances instead of the oven e.g. microwaves, electric fry pans? 3 Do you use lids on pans when cooking? Yes No Smaller appliances generally use less energy so are often better for cooking small amounts of food. Try to restrict oven use to when you need to cook multiple things. Yes No Lids help keep the heat in, making cooking more efficient and therefore reducing energy use. Stand-by power Switch off at the wall to avoid stand-by power costs. 3% 1 Do you leave appliances on stand-by e.g. televisions, stereos, computers? Yes No Turn appliances off at the wall to prevent stand-by power use or consider using a stand-by power controller. You can use the power meter in the Home Energy Toolkit to measure stand-by power use see page 11. More information Check for draughts You can check for draughts by: looking for daylight around the edges of doors and windows looking for gaps around skirting boards feeling draughts on a wet finger. Shower flow rate You will need: a bucket and something to measure water volume, such as a measuring jug a stopwatch (available in the Home Energy Toolkit). Turn the water on full and let it flow into a bucket for 10 seconds. Measure the amount of water in litres. Multiply by six to determine the flow rate in litres. Shower flow rate example: Water flow in 10 seconds = 2 litres 2 litres x 6 = 12 litres in 60 seconds Flow rate is 12 litres per minute. Insulate hot water pipes You can purchase foam tubing from hardware and plumbing stores. Look for one which has been cut along its length and has a self-sealing adhesive strip. To install: slide the foam tubing onto the external heater pipes peel off the adhesive strip and join the sides together. Check your fridge or freezer temperature You will need a thermometer. Place your thermometer below the top shelf and towards the front of the fridge, or anywhere in the freezer. Leave the thermometer in the closed fridge or freezer for about 30 minutes and then observe the temperature. Adjust the thermostat if necessary and recheck 24 hours later. Door seals on fridges, freezers and ovens To check if a door seals properly, close the door on a piece of paper. The door seal should be strong enough to firmly grip it. Check in several places around the edge of the door. If the paper slides out easily, consider replacing the seal. Look for sections that are cracked and brittle or pressed out of shape. If the seal is damaged, it may need replacing.

7 Do your own home energy audit 7 How to calculate running costs Knowing the running cost of an appliance will help you keep track of how much you are spending on energy. The most accurate way to find an appliance s running cost is to use an appliance power meter. You can borrow a power meter in the Home Energy Toolkit free of charge from most public libraries in South Australia see page 11. For list of average running costs of household appliances and an online calculator, visit sa.gov.au/energy/runningcosts Follow the steps in the tables below to calculate the running costs of electric or gas appliances. Example: Portable electric heater 1 Find the appliance s input power in watts or megajoules. The watts or megajoules will usually be on a label on the appliance or in the owner s manual. Small electrical appliances may indicate amps and volts. Multiply the amps by the volts to get watts. 2 Convert input power to kilowatts (kw) or megajoules (MJ) if necessary. Divide watts by 1,000 to give kilowatts, e.g. 2,000 watts = 2kW. Divide joules by 1,000,000 to give megajoules, e.g. 3,200,000 joules = 3.2MJ. 3 Check your bill for your energy tariff the amount you pay per unit of electricity or gas. For electric appliances, use the peak rate, as most appliances will be charged at this rate. See page 8 for advice on reviewing your energy bill. If you are unsure, you can use an average tariff of 33 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity and 4 cents per megajoule for gas. 1 Label shows 2,000W 2 Divide 2,000W by 1,000 = 2kW 3 Check your bill for your energy tariff if you are unsure you can use 33 cents per kwh for electricity 4 Multiply the input power by the energy tariff 2 x 33 = 66 cents per hour 5 If the heater is on full power for 10 hours per day*: 10 x 66 cents = $6.60 a day Example: Gas space heater 4 Work out maximum hourly running costs in cents per hour. Multiply the input power by the energy tariff e.g. 2kW x 33 cents = 66 cents per hour, or 3.2MJ x 4 cents = 12.8 cents per hour. 5 Work out a daily running cost. Multiply the hourly running cost by the number of hours per day you run the appliance to get a daily running cost, e.g. 10 hours x 66 cents = 660 cents or $6.60 per day. 6 Adjust results for appliances with thermostats or high to low settings. The maximum running costs reflect the appliance running at full power for the specified time. However, not all appliances operate constantly at full power. Appliances with high and low settings or thermostats can use less energy. Use the power meter in the Home Energy Toolkit to measure the actual usage of plug-in appliances. For large hardwired appliances, e.g. air-conditioners, track usage with a meter diary see page 11. For water heaters, more information is available at sa.gov.au/energy/waterheaters 1 Label shows 26MJ per hour on low setting 2 Convert joules to megajoules (MJ) by dividing by 1,000,000. In this case no conversion required 3 Check your bill for your energy tariff if you are unsure use 4 cents per MJ for gas 4 Multiply the input power by the energy tariff 26 x 4 = 104 cents per hour 5 If the appliance is on full power for 10 hours per day*: 10 x 104 cents = $10.40 a day * Note that if the heater is controlled by a thermostat its energy use will be lower than if it is constantly on full power.

8 8 Do your own home energy audit Understanding your electricity bills Electricity bills contain a lot of information that can help you understand how much energy you use in the home. This bill is an example to show you what to look for. Your own bill may look different and contain different information e.g. if you have a solar photovoltaic (PV) system, you will also have information about the kwh exported. For an example gas bill, visit sa.gov.au/energy/bills Your overall use Usage Average usage per day kwh Same time last year kwh Average cost per day $4.37 kwh Your energy use in detail 5 0 Jan 13 Apr 13 Jul 13 Oct 13 Jan 14 Tonnes 2.0 Supply address 1 Green Street, Greenvale SA 5555 NMI Supply period 3 25 Oct 2013 to 23 Jan 2014 Reading type 4 Actual read on 23 Jan 2014 Tariff description Domestic light and power Meter no. Days billed Previous reading Current reading 7 Usage kwh Usage and supply charges 2 Average daily electrical usage (kwh) Greenhouse gas emissions (Tonnes) Charge Non-summer rate 25 Oct 2013 to 31 Dec days Peak First 224 $ $68.90 Next 232 $ $72.66 Supply charge $43.38 Summer rate 1 Jan 2014 to 23 Jan days Peak First 76 $ $24.58 Next 77 $ $27.03 Supply charge $14.67 Off-peak rate 25 Oct 2013 to 23 Jan days Usage 729 $ $ GST $36.18 Total usage and supply charges 9 $ Your next meter read is due between 23 Apr 2014 and 30 Apr Please ensure easy access to your meter on these days Average usage per day Measured in kilowatt-hours (kwh) over the last billing period and compared to the same period last year. 2 Usage graph This graph allows you to compare your electricity use across a number of different billing periods such as this bill with the same period last year. 3 Billing period This area shows the billing period for the current bill. 4 Read type Retailers must read your electricity meter at least once a year and you should make sure the retailer can access your meter to do so. Other readings may be estimated, noted by an e or estimate. An actual reading may be noted by an a or actual. You can check the accuracy of the reading by reading your meter yourself. If a retailer has under-estimated your use, your bill will be less than it should be, so future bills may be higher to cover this use. If the retailer has overcharged you due to an incorrect estimate, you may receive a credit on your next bill or your retailer may pay you back the overcharged amount. Contact your retailer to discuss. 5 Meter readings Many homes have more than one electricity meter, for example one for peak and the other for off-peak. Refer to the meter number when checking the related reading. A digital meter can record peak and off-peak so may show on the bill as the same meter number twice. 6 Billing days The number of days this bill covers. For households that are billed quarterly, this will be around 91 days. 7 Consumption The total number of electricity units used per meter a unit is a kwh. 8 Tariff The prices (per kwh) paid for electricity, in different periods, e.g. summer rate, non-summer rate and off-peak rate. The Unchanged Rate normally refers to a rate that does not change in summer. In this example, it is controlled load, or off-peak. 9 Total due Amount of money owed for electricity supply and usage charges for the billing period and any other charges e.g. unpaid amounts from a previous bill.

9 Do your own home energy audit 9 Managing your energy bills If you are having trouble managing your energy bills, the good news is, there is help available. Are you eligible for any concessions? Make sure you re not missing out on any concessions you may be eligible for call the Concessions Hotline on Ask your retailer for assistance If your energy bills are getting on top of you, don t ignore it. Contact your energy retailer to see how they can help. It s important to tell your retailer if you are having trouble paying, because by law, they must assist you. This could include offering you a payment plan, joining their hardship program, energy saving activities or signposting you to other services that can help. Spread your bill payments If you find paying a quarterly bill difficult to budget for, ask your energy retailer if you can pay monthly, weekly or even fortnightly to manage your cash flow. Most energy retailers in South Australia offer payment options. Get the best energy deal Use the Australian Government s free energy price comparison website, energymadeeasy.gov.au, or call to check you re getting the best deal for energy. For best results, use information from your last four energy bills to cover energy use across all seasons. Dealing with a higher than normal energy bill To find the cause of an unusually high bill check: Is the meter reading correct and have any additional fees or charges been included? Check the bill for any fees, e.g. a late payment fee, or an unpaid amount from a previous bill that has been included in this bill. Billing errors are uncommon, but if you believe there is an error, contact your retailer to discuss. Have any concessions you are eligible for been applied? If you have recently changed retailers, you must notify the Concessions Hotline on to ensure you keep receiving the concessions. Have you started using a new appliance? Some appliances can use a lot of energy and will add to your bill. Are more people living in your home? If additional people have stayed in your home or you have a new family member, the appliances they use may add to your energy bill. Have you moved home? Different houses use different amounts of energy. Heating and cooling appliances and water heaters, which generally use a lot of energy, may be more or less efficient in different homes. If you need help to understand the cause of your high bill, contact the Energy Advisory Service on Building or renovating? Or just want more energy saving information? There are websites that can help you understand and manage your energy use and costs, including information about making your home more energy efficient. sa.gov.au/energy The Government of South Australia s sa.gov.au/energy website contains information to help you understand and reduce your home s energy use. There are sections on saving energy at home, choosing energy efficient appliances, solar power for your home, concessions and electrical, gas and plumbing safety advice. Dispute with your energy retailer? If your retailer does not give you the help you need or you have a dispute you can t resolve, contact the Energy and Water Ombudsman South Australia (EWOSA) on or visit their website at ewosa.com.au. EWOSA can investigate and resolve disputes between customers and retailers. Get help from a financial counsellor You can get free advice from a financial counsellor by calling to help get your finances in shape. yourhome.gov.au The Australian Government s Your Home website, yourhome.gov.au, has detailed information for people building or renovating homes to make them more sustainable. It provides adaptable design options and solutions so you can build a comfortable, environmentally friendly home that uses less energy. It also has detailed information on a range of topics, including energy and water use, and passive design for both new and existing homes.

10 10 Do your own home energy audit Reading electricity and gas meters Electricity and gas meters are used by your energy provider to measure the energy you use. Knowing how to read a meter allows you to: keep track of your home energy use as often as required check the meter reading on your bill is close to your actual reading. Digital electricity meters Digital electricity meters display the meter readings as a row of numbers, like the odometer in a car. Read the number from left to right. If necessary, scroll through other screens (like date and time) to get to the reading. Look for numbers starting with: 03 or 003 for the peak electricity meter reading 07 or 007 for the off-peak electricity meter reading Homes with solar panels will have an import/export meter. Look for numbers starting with 09 or 009 to see what has been exported to the grid. Refer to the manufacturer s instruction manual or contact SA Power Networks to find out how to read this type of meter. Dial or clock face electricity meters Read the dials from left to right, ignoring the dial marked 1/10 as it is only for testing. Each dial revolves in a different direction to the one next to it, e.g. anti-clockwise, then clockwise Always note the number the pointer has just passed e.g. it if is between 7 and 8, write down 7. If the pointer is directly over a number, underline that number when you write it down. If any of the underlined numbers are followed by an 8 or 9, reduce the underlined number by one. In the example below, because the 4 is underlined and followed by a 9, we change the 4 to a 3. The below example gives a reading of 73,958kWh. Digital gas meters Digital gas meters, also known as metric meters and record the amount of gas used in cubic metres (m 3 ). Read the numbers from left to right. Only read the black and white digits; ignore any red numbers, as these are used for testing purposes. Dial or clock face gas meters Imperial or clock face meters record the amount of gas used in cubic feet (ft 3 ). Read the first four dials from left to right. Each dial revolves in a different direction from the one next to it e.g. anti-clockwise, then clockwise. Always note the number the pointer has just passed e.g. if it is between 7 and 8, write down 7. The below example gives a reading of 1,394ft 3. See below for an explanation of how to convert cubic feet or cubic metres into megajoules and use this reading to calculate and understand the energy use shown on your bill. Convert cubic meters (m 3 ) to megajoules (MJ) Subtract previous reading from current reading Convert to MJ by multiplying the difference by the pressure factor and heating value on the bill = 14m 3 14m 3 x xx 38.61MJ/m 3 = MJ of gas used Convert cubic feet (ft 3 ) to megajoules (MJ) Subtract previous reading from current reading Convert to MJ by multiplying the difference by the pressure factor and heating value on the bill = 320ft 3 320ft 3 x x 1.09MJ/ft 3 = MJ of gas used

11 Do your own home energy audit 11 Using electricity and gas meter readings Electricity and gas meters record the total amount of electricity and gas consumed over the life of the meter. To find out how much electricity or gas you have used over a period of time, you can subtract an earlier reading from the current reading. Gas meters record in cubic feet or cubic meters see page 10 for how to convert these measurements to megajoules (MJ), which is how you are charged on your bill. You can use regular readings to keep track of how much energy you are using and see how energy saving changes that you have made following your home energy audit are affecting your energy use. You can record your results in a simple meter diary and keep note of what changes you made. So, you could choose to take readings weekly, or even daily, then see what changes like using the clothes line instead of the dryer, or turning off your second fridge make. Changing the way you use high energy consuming appliances, like reverse cycle air conditioners, will make the most obvious difference to your average daily energy consumption. Changes to smaller energy consuming appliances, such as washing clothes on a cool cycle and hanging them on the line instead of using a clothes dryer, will take longer to show any difference. If you have a gas heater, or gas water heater, use a gas meter diary to see if changes like taking shorter showers, or keeping doors closed when you run your heater and using it for less time have on your gas use. Example meter diary Date Days between readings Meter reading Energy used since last reading Average daily energy use Notes about appliances used and changes made 19/ kWh Starting point 24/ kWh 125kWh 25kWh School holidays kids home most days using TV, computer, lots of washing and clothes drying. Used ducted refrigerated air con for approx 7 hours daily at 21 o C. 30/ kWh 102kWh 17kWh Kids back to school so fewer appliances used during the day. Hot weather ran air con for approx 3 hours in evening each day. Adjusted thermostat to 24 o C. 2/ kWh 33kWh 11kWh Cooler weather so no air con needed. Big drop in use! 6/ kWh 40kWh 10kWh Still no air con. Hung washing outside instead of dryer. No TV on school nights. 8/ kWh 36kWh 18kWh Warm nights ran ducted refrigerated air con for approx 4 hours in evening at 24 o C. To calculate average daily energy use, divide the amount of energy used since the last reading by the number of days between readings. In this case: = 25kWh. Would you like to do a more detailed audit? Borrow a Home Energy Toolkit Home Energy Toolkits can be borrowed free of charge from most South Australian public libraries. They come with a comprehensive home energy auditing manual, which lets you explore your home energy use in much more detail. Each toolkit contains a thermometer, compass, stopwatch and a power meter that can measure home appliance energy use, running costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Call your library to check if they have a Home Energy Toolkit available. Go to sa.gov.au/energy/toolkit or call the Energy Advisory Service on for a list of participating libraries.

12 More energy information Energy Saving Advice The Energy Advisory Service offers free independent information about saving energy in the home. See below for contact details. Are you eligible for a concession? Call the Concessions Hotline on or visit sa.gov.au/concessions to find out if you could get financial help with your energy bills. Help to resolve a dispute with your energy retailer The Energy and Water Ombudsman offers a free independent service to all South Australian domestic and business customers that can help resolve disputes with gas and electricity retailers. Call or visit ewosa.com.au Get your organisation involved to help others save energy The Energy Partners Program works with organisations across the state to help South Australians manage their energy use and costs, and improve energy efficiency. See sa.gov.au/energypartners Contact the Energy Advisory Service for free energy saving advice. Online: sa.gov.au/energy energyadvice@sa.gov.au Phone: or (free call from fixed lines) Feb 2016