The rebate program introduced by the government has been in for around four months.

While Australians want their houses to be cooler in the hot summer months, electricians warn that they are turning houses into potential death traps.

Federal environment minister Peter Garrett said that safety was a priority.

“Metallic foil is conductive and when installed incorrectly, without undertaking the mandatory risk assessments and in breach of clear program requirements, this product can be dangerous,” the minister said in a statement today.

He said there was still evidence of installers using dangerous practices, despite a ban last year on the use of metal fasteners for foil insulation.

“That is why we have taken steps today to suspend the use of foil under this program,” he said.

“Based on the outcome of these discussions I will consider what additional steps will be required if foil insulation is to remain eligible for a rebate under the Home Insulation Program,” he said.

“As I have said consistently, safety is the absolute priority under this program.”

- with theage.com.au

But ironing doesn’t just have an impact on your clothing; it effects the environment as well. Using the iron daily uses a lot of unnecessary power and adds to our already over-used resources.

You should only iron clothes you really need to, like work shirts and skirts. If you iron underwear, sheets and even napkins you should stop now. It may look nice and pressed but it is not a ‘must iron’ garment and pollutes the environment. If you want to get serious about cutting down our carbon emissions then having an ironed bed sheet is not going to help.

For clothing that needs to be ironed, ensure that you fold them when you take them out of the dryer or off the line. This will make ironing easier and quicker, resulting in less scrunched clothing (and carbon).

Iron shirts when they are still a bit damp. This will make the ironing task quicker, reduces the drying time and means you don’t have to steam iron.

You should also de-calcify your iron by putting a white vinegar and water mixture into the steam cavity. Turn your iron on hot and let it steam, after this pour the solution away.

But using electric or gas appliances are not good for our green earth. This is why there are alternative sources like heat pumps that allow us to gain heat from natural sources. Heat pumps allow us to transfer heat from the ground, building or home to provide heat and in some cases even heat domestic hot water. You can also install air and water pumps that will produce heat from these natural sources.

Costs-
The average cost of a ground-source heat pump will be around $1,000. The Dux Airoheat Sub-Zero Heat Pump is $1,500 and it will cost you a bit more for installation and connection to the main distribution system. It will always be costly at first to install something environmentally friendly, but it will save the environment and yourself money in the long run.

Grants-
You have until June 30 to apply for both state and federal rebates and with the RECs you can save up to $4,000 on the heat pumps.

Savings-
In the long run you can save between $300 and $1,000 on heating bills and up to seven tonnes of CO2 a year. It may take a while for you to see the benefits but in the end it will be worth it.

Depending on the amount of dishes washed, the dishwasher can use up to six times less water than the average person uses to wash them in the sink. Modern dishwashers use as little as 10 litres of water per wash. But most of this can be tied to poor washing-up habits and practices, rather than technological improvements.

Making a dishwasher takes a huge amount of energy and raw materials, which could have bad environmental effects that counteract with the water saving benefits. There are both positives and negatives with the dishwasher appliance, but here are some steps to follow to save power and water.

Step one- don’t pre-wash the dishes before you put them in the dishwasher. There is no washing difference between those rinsed and un-rinsed, so just scrape off large bits of foods and place it in. However, if you have really dirty dishes it may save more water and energy to do it once by hand, rather than three times in the dishwasher.

Step two- use eco-friendly powder or liquid. These products will not contain phosphates or other chemicals that are harmful to our environment.

Step three- set the dishwasher temperature cycle to a low setting. High settings use more water and take longer to wash, making it not environmentally friendly.

Step four- make sure you clean out your dishwasher filter regularly. This helps your machine to run as effective as possible and more dishes will be clean using less energy.

But no one is going to get rid of their washing machine that washes their clothing in a short amount of time, and with ease. The good news for the environment is that there are now many models available that use less energy and water.

In fact, newly designed washing machines use about half the water and energy than the average ten-year-old washing machine. The most efficient machines use less than 50 litres of water each wash.

As well as purchasing an energy efficient machine, there are simple steps you can do to save power and water.

Step one- about 90% of energy used washing our clothes is when we heat the water. If you aim to wash your clothes at around 40C it will use half the amount of energy as it would at 90C and is still a decent wash.

Step two- don’t wash clothes after one wear, only wash them when they are dirty. Unless they have something spilt on them or smell after a night out, you should be able to wear clothes at least twice before washing, saving power and water.

Step three- fill the washing machine to the brim. Washing clothes in a machine that is half full needlessly wastes power and water. Make sure it is as full as it can be, without overfilling. If you have to wash only half a load, make sure you select the half load cycle.

We need to choose the right appliance that will have little impact on the planet whilst satisfying our needs. The first thing to do is to do the RESEARCH. Find out about the appliance before you buy. Compare a range of different appliances and a number of different manufactures and see which is more energy efficient. Tray and go for those with the Energy Saving Recommended logo.

The most important thing is to ASK FOR ADVICE. If you are not sure, or want to know more about a specific appliance ask for help. The sales staff should know information on technical things as well as the benefits it has. Here is a checklist you should complete before you buy.

· Is the appliance an Energy Saving Recommended one?
· How much energy does it produce when it is only on standby?
· Does the appliance have any special energy-saving features?
· How long wills the product last? What is the said lifespan?
· REMEMBER- to purchase quality items that will last for a long period of time.