Home owners getting more energy efficient

An electricity bill of R22 a month for a family of three in a four-bedroom house with the VAT charges higher than actual charges? Not possible, would say most people.

But the Green family proved that this is indeed possible.

 Emmett and Kim Green were living in Johannesburg, when, in 2012, they decided they were fed up with constant power cuts and increasing electricity bills.

They started investigating measures to reduce their bills, become independent of the grid, contribute to the environment, but at the same time, remain living comfortably.

 It is not realistic to go completely off the grid, but one can at least have all essential needs off the grid in becoming self-sufficient,” said Emmett.

 The family started with insulating the entire home.

“Insulation is the greatest unsung hero of power saving. It really works. I started by placing 200ml of isotherm in the bathrooms to replace the under-floor heating and then placed 100ml insulation throughout the house. Insulation eliminates the need for air conditioning and heating and it is easy and relatively cheap to install,” he said.

The next step was removing the aluminium windows and replacing them with double-glazed glass.

This has a double benefit of keeping the heat in and the cold out, as well as being an additional form of security as they are almost impossible to break. They also act as a soundproof barrier from traffic and other noises. Although this was a major expense – in fact, the biggest – ultimately, it was worth it,” he said.

The family then replaced the tiles with wooden floors throughout the house. Wood is another form of insulation, he said.

Other steps the Greens took include:

• The basic replacement of lighting globes with energy-efficient ones, inside and outside the house, including placing sensors which automatically switch the lights on and off as people enter rooms or spaces.
• Installation of a wood-burning stove which is 30% cheaper than open fire places and which also reduces carbon emissions.
• Installation of small, wall panel heaters around the house

• Placing of infra-red heating in the bathrooms
• Installation of a heat pump on the geyser to heat the water
• Placing a gas hob in the kitchen
• Installation of low-flow shower heads
• Placing a cover on the pool, a timer on the pool motor and solar heating panels on the pool
• Installation of 5kW solar PV systems which generate 21kW hours per day during winter and 33kW hours during summer
• Installation of a monitoring system to keep track of the savings

Behaviour change

The family’s behaviour also changed.

We didn’t want to stop or change our lives dramatically, but we now take basic steps such as closing doors and windows before sunset, not boiling full kettles for just one cup of tea or coffee, turning off lights when leaving a room and unplugging appliances which are not in use,” he said.

Payback

Regarding the payback on the investment he made in these cost-cutting measures, Emmett said it varied according to the steps taken, from less than a year to about five years.

But, he said, ultimately, it paid off because not only was he saving on his monthly bills, but when he eventually sold the Johannesburg house, he got 40% more than he would have had he not had the electricity-saving measures in place.

“So in the end, I actually got back everything I spent, plus 40%, in just two years, plus the savings on my monthly bills. The people who purchased my house were delighted with these power-saving enhancements to the house,” he said.

Challenges

The hardest thing, said Emmett, was finding reputable supplies and suppliers.

When one embarks on a project like this, one is not sure what products to use, but it was a problem that we soon overcame,” he said.

The Greens, after selling their Johannesburg home, relocated to George, where he had to start all over again in his new home.

“The problem is that people want to implement energy-saving in their homes, but most don’t know where to start and inertia sets in, so they do nothing, but I have proved it can be done. People can see tangible benefits immediately by carrying out some minor changes.

“I stress that I am not entirely off the grid – this is unrealistic, but, when load shedding happens, all my essential appliances works such as lighting, the TVs, computers, the security system and fridge. So what if the pool motor does not run for a few hours?

We still have our basic needs. Everyone can do it. But, the most important thing is to start measuring how much you consume before starting installations,” he said.

He cut the family’s electricity consumption from 40.33kW to an average of 5.5kW without compromising their lifestyle and comfort.