Episode: VIC Waterwise Special ? Our Changing Climate
Presenter: Melissa King

The McQuire house in West Brunswick has been given a green makeover and it has all been done without renovating, rebuilding or compromising their lifestyle.

About 12 years ago, the owners looked at how much water the family were consuming and how many tonnes of Greenhouse emissions they were producing from electricity and gas. They then set out to make difference.

Today the family have cut their Greenhouse emissions by a whopping 90% and reduced water usage to just six litres a day per person. That is 97 per cent less than the average Melbourne household.

Firstly, with a little bit of help from the sun, the house is fitted with grid connected solar electricity and solar hot water. It was the 1^st Grid-connected solar house in Victoria and since 1996 has generated more electricity than it has used, so surplus electricity is actually fed back to the grid.

Electric hot water previously used about 2/3 of the families overall electricity, so a solar hot water unit was installed and cut greenhouse emissions by around 5 tonnes per year.

Just 7% of the families water comes from the mains and the rest comes from rain or recycled water, which is used for showers, laundry, toilet flushing or on the garden. To put this in perspective, the family?s water bill for Autumn was just $1.55.

Long hot showers are a luxury that many of us find hard to give up and there is no doubt that a lot of the old water efficient shower heads just don?t cut it. However, today?s water efficient shower roses give good coverage and they use less than 7-10 litres/minute and reduce hot water use by more than 50%.

You can?t forget the Dual flush toilet either, which can cut toilet water consumption in half.

The family also swapped their standard light bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs that last longer, use less energy and can save money in the long run.

A front loader washing machine replaced the old top loader and now consumes less energy, less water and is gentler on clothes.

When you are buying appliances, look for an energy star or water conservation rating, the more stars or A?s the more efficient it is.

There are rebates available to households which make water saving products like dual-flush toilets, rainwater tanks, grey water systems and shower roses more affordable. For the full list of products visit www.ourwater.vic.gov.au

The McQuire house is proof that giving your house a green makeover doesn?t mean you need to sacrifice comfort or style. In fact it is exactly these kinds of simple practical changes that can help to save you money and create a bright future for your family.

The McQuire Sustainable House
www.greenmakeover.com.au