Energy saving technologies can improve the value of properties. Bond orginators ooba say that 49% of respondents to one of its recent surveys indicated that features such as insulation, solar water heaters and water-conservation technologies directly influence the buying decision.
ooba’s Jenny Rushin says the poll conducted by the organisation showed that just 13% of buyers did not care if the home had energy saving mechanisms in place.
In terms of energy savings Rushin says the key factors to consider include:
- Water heating consumes about 50% of household electricity. For this reason geysers need to be energy efficient and if solar water heaters are used, the savings can be significant;
- A single flush of a toilet uses about 11 litres of water. Installing a pump system results in less water being used to flush the toilet
- When buying any household cleaning products, check the labels to see if any of the ingredients are potentially toxic. Many supermarkets stock environmentally-friendly products and major producers, such as Unilever plan to introduce more and more of these in the years ahead;
- Energy efficient light bulbs use about 66% less energy than incandescent bulbs;
- Instead of using synthetic fertilisers, home-owners should used composts that provide balanced nutrients. Healthy soil will reduce the number of weeds in a garden and prevent the proliferation of pests.
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