Together we can make a difference

Every household in New Zealand can take the small step of changing a standard incandescent bulb to an energy efficient alternative. Based on the 1.65 million homes in our country, if we changed between 1 and 28 bulbs in each home, we could make a big difference.

On average, a New Zealand household uses 9,370 KWh of electricity per annum. Based on studies by KEMA and BRANZ, 920 KWh (or nearly 10%) of this total is consumed by lighting. So if everyone in New Zealand adopts energy efficient lighting habits we could save a huge amount of power.

To see how much New Zealand can save, click here

Here are some scenarios, based on all 1.65 million New Zealand households achieving the same level of savings.

If we all reduce
our lighting bills by...

...We'll save this much energy every year...

 ...That's as much energy as that used by these cities every year... ...Or the annual generation of these power stations...
66% (definitely achievable) 1,002 GWh Hamilton/Cambridge;
or the entire Nelson/Marlborough region		 Southdown, Arapuni or Wairakei power stations.
45% (conservative figure) 683 GWh Tauranga, Mt Maunganui and Queenstown combined; or Rotorua and Masterton combined Whakamaru Hydro station and Waipapa Hydro Station; or the Tararua Wind Farm and the Cobb River Power station
33% (readily achievable) 500 GWh

Tauranga and Mt Maunganui; or Rotorua

 Whakamaru Hydro Station; or the Tararua Wind Farm

The more energy efficient we are, the fewer power stations we need to build.

Building power stations is expensive and the cost is recovered from all power users via increases in the cost of electricity. It costs a lot less to use electricity more efficiently than it does to build new power stations.

For example, Project West Wind – Meridian Energy's wind farm currently under construction west of Wellington – will cost over $440 million to complete. When fully operational at the end of 2009, the 62-turbine development will have a capacity of 143 megawatts and will power the equivalent of 70,000 average New Zealand homes: that’s all the homes within the territorial boundaries of Wellington City.

 

When we use energy efficient lighting, we burn less fossil fuel.

In 2008, 20% of New Zealand's total electricity generation came from burning fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide into the air. Home lighting in New Zealand is mainly consumed during peak periods such as mornings and evenings. Because the generation and transmission capacity needs to be built to cope with maximum demand times, reducing lighting during these times can have real benefits. So by using energy efficient lighting that requires less electricity (energy) we can make a real difference.

By simply replacing one standard incandescent bulb with one equivalent CFL, you can keep half a ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere (over the life of the CFL bulb).


Energy efficient lighting means less mercury in the environment.

CFLs contain a small amount of mercury which makes them operate much more efficiently than incandescent and halogen bulbs. Mercury is toxic to human health and the environment but the amount inside an individual bulb is not large enough to pose a hazard to users.

Plus, because of their energy efficiency, energy saving CFL bulbs have the greatest overall environmental life-cycle benefits, despite containing a small amount of mercury.

To find other ways to reduce your environmental impact by using energy more efficiently, visit the EECA EnergywiseTM website.