In 2004 Australian greenhouse gas emissions were the highest per capita in the world. This is alarming.

The average Australian household’s electricity use accounts for 85 per cent of a household’s greenhouse gas emissions when excluding car use.

So when we are asked to save greenhouse gas emissions, the home is a great place to start.

Knowing how to read your electricity bill will not only save greenhouse gas emissions but save you money.

One tip is to compare your electricity use patterns.

The average Australian household electricity consumption is estimated at 16 kilowatt hours a day.

Your bill should give your average usage, but it is quite easy and a good habit to record your daily energy consumption by reading your electricity meter and writing results in a table.

You should do this several times a year to give you an idea of usage in different seasons.

It is also good practice to look back at previous bills to give you an idea of energy use over a number of years.

By comparing recent bills and your average electricity usage you may pick up on faulty appliances such as a fridge which is chewing up the juice.

There may be many reasons for a high electricity bill such as:

* doors and windows left open at night

* faulty appliances drawing too much power

* no curtains or blinds on large glass areas

* long operating times of appliances

* thermostat temperatures set too high in winter

* heating or cooling unit expected to heat or cool too large an area

* lack of ventilation to heating or cooling units

* bad habits of leaving appliances on when not in use.

The next step is to monitor your electricity use. If you do have a high electricity bill you can test your appliances’ electricity usage by borrowing a Powermate from the Smart Living Library stand at the Warrnambool library.

The Powermate gives you an idea of how much energy an appliance uses and then converts it into dollars.