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for what it is worth - but watso bought new of everything - and the focus on low energy ..so new fridge, microwave, tv, computer, led lights blah blah.."
Interesting that you did this, as when I have been asked over the years as to where should I start to start saving energy, I reply, sell all of your electrical gear.
This is followed by a long thoughtful silence while they think of all of the reasons why they could never possibly do that....then I say and buy low energy stuff that can still carry out the job you want it to do.
I think only one has ever done that, but a few have certainly considered energy consumption when replacement time comes around.
It doesn't take long to realise that you then have more money to use for other things.
One of the best things I did was buy up a heap of the old R3.5 insulation batts once they were no longer legal in new home builds and nobody wanted them. R4s were $70 per pack.... the old R3s could be had for $20-25...
so I bought double the quantity i needed (average approx $43) and doubled them up to give R 8 once they covered the rafters.... double bonus.
Adding the second layer gave us a 2 degree increase in temperature right throughout the house,, this reduced our wood requirements by approx 20% per year....oh no..... more spare money each year.
or in my case less i needed to earn to survive.
Funny how I have always been "the nutter" but now people say i am "lucky" to have the lifestyle i have......Lucky... ha.... pigs rse lucky..... Years of forethought and hard work, that's what it is.
