Small steps

These tips cost nothing and save cash:

• Get the right power plan - in Wellington a medium household can save more than $200 a year. Go to powerswitch.org.nz to compare costs.
• Turn off lights when leaving a room.
• Close curtains and windows at sunset in the winter. Heavy and closely-woven full-length curtains conserve more heat.
• Repair leaky taps. One dripping hot tap could cost you $80 a year if you left it dripping that long.
• Turn down your hot water cylinder - it doesn’t need to be above 60°C. This will save you around $25 per hot water cylinder a year. 
• Turn off that old beer fridge and save up to $120 a year.  

Cheap steps

• Install a water-efficient showerhead. To find out whether your showerhead is wasting water, time how long the head takes to fill a 10-litre bucket. If it’s less than a minute, you’re better off with a more economical head. These cost $40 to $100 and can save a family of four about $300 a year.
• Wrap your hot-water cylinder (cost around $75) and for around $15 insulate the first two metres of hot-water pipe nearest the hot-water cylinder.
• Put compact fluorescent bulbs in the light fittings you use the most. These use around a fifth the electricity of a standard bulb.
• Fill gaps in ceiling insulation.
• Block draughts by sealing old chimneys, fitting weather stripping around doors and windows, or make a draught 'sausage'.