If you’ve been hit with high energy bills, a free-to-loan Home Energy Audit Toolkit (HEAT) is now available to borrow from Brighton Council. The HEAT kit outlines useful ways people can save power and money around the home.

Here are a few tips to reduce energy costs from the HEAT free-to-loan kit:

• Dry wet washing outside now it is getting warmer

• Switch to LED lights, with outdoor lights on timer

• Turn heating on only when rooms are in use

• Ventilate wet areas well

• Use curtains and blinds to keep heat escaping from windows

• Switch electricity providers if there’s a better deal

• Switch tariffs to match when you use energy

•Renovate or replace appliances, this can save money in the long run.

The HEAT kit is free to borrow and available to collect from Brighton Council. You can borrow it for up to two weeks.

The kit contains:

• Appliance power monitor to check for problems

• Laser temperature sensor for finding leaks

• Thermometer with room and fridge temperatures for both summer and winter

• Compass for identifying northern sun access

• Stopwatch to measure the amount of water used in showers

If you would like to book out the free HEAT kit, visit Brighton Council reception or call 6268 7000. If you would like to discuss energy efficiency opportunities, get in touch with Alison at alison.johnson@brighton.tas.gov.au.