Lowering our energy consumption in Southbank

It’s been a busy few weeks in the garden in front of the Boyd Community Hub.

The City of Melbourne donated many potted flowers, vegetables, and herbs. We planted many in the garden beds and members of the Southbank community dropped by and were able to take home sunflowers, rosemary, and marigolds for their balconies.

Thank you to the City of Melbourne and the team who arrived by truck early one morning to offload all the pots.

Many Southbankers are dealing with higher costs of living, particularly energy costs. There are some simple things we can do to reduce our energy use and reduce our environmental footprint. Chris Jubb, one of the members of Southbank Sustainability Group, has put together a useful guide titled, “How do I reduce my energy use?”.

The guide provides information on a range of practical steps we can take to reduce our energy consumption and explains the link between different sources of energy and their environmental impact. You can find the full guide at our Facebook page.

As an example, many Southbankers rely on gas for hot water. To help reduce the cost, remember to shorten your shower time, and report or repair any hot water leaks. If you have a dishwasher, washing machine or dryer make sure you have a full load before using it. Get into the habit of turning off all appliances you are not using at the plug so you can avoid the costs of the standby mode drawing electricity.

Change your lights to LEDs and turn off lights when they are not in use. On warm days

remember to close blinds and curtains and then open windows in the evenings when the air is cooler.

You can also consider switching your energy supplier to a renewable only supplier and if you are in an apartment building talk to the owners’ corporation manager or committee to find out what they can do to negotiate a renewables contract of supply for the building.

We have continued to meet people moving into Southbank at our fortnightly meetups. Many come for coffee and stay to garden or join the watering roster or help at events.

Anyone is welcome to drop by and join in the discussions and gardening. The next fortnightly Saturday meetup is March 18, 10am in the garden at the front of the Boyd Community Hub.

About the group

Southbank Sustainability Group is a solution-focused community group of Southbank residents working to bring positive change in sustainability practices. Reach us at [email protected] or facebook.com/SouthbankSustainabilityGroup

If you are interested in getting involved with Southbank Sustainability Group, send us an email or come to one of the upcoming meetups. •