Eco online

Signing up to the Living Smart Homes Project has proved a catalyst for deep changes in how one family view the environment.

Image: Dayle Batistic and daughter Elleah, and the others in their household, are reaping the rewards of completing the energy and water modules of the Living Smart Homes Project.
Photo: Courtesy Batistic family"

We've learned so much," says Dayle Batistic, mother of three, "such as how to read our meters and audit our water and energy use. The actions we've taken, like changing to energy efficient light bulbs and turning down the temperature of the hot water system, have had no negative effect on our comfort. We've since converted to solar hot water and even though there was a nine per cent price rise in electricity last year, we've reduced our bill by eleven per cent."

The Living Smart Homes Project aims to empower householders to do something about climate change on the home front. Run by the local council in Caboolture and Noosa, it is currently completing its pilot stage. The Batistic household is one of 50 in Caboolture and 90 in Noosa to sign up.

Image: Matt and Rebecca Colefax and their family live in Tewantin and have also signed up to the Living Smart Homes Project. "It makes so much sense," Matt says about the program. "Visitors see our sign and take interest. We're planting the seed in their minds that they can do something too."

Participants receive a sign to display at the front of their property. As they work through four self-paced modules - energy, water, waste and transport - they develop an understanding of their own consumption patterns and how they might change them. On completion of each module, the household receives a badge to attach to the sign.

Mrs Batistic's electricity savings were a good return on her investment of 45 minutes spent working through the energy module on the project website.

"We haven't done transport module yet, but instead of driving the kids seven kilometres to school we now ride our bikes together. So that's a saving of $15 a week in petrol and we're burning seven kilometres of calories each trip. The kids get out into the environment and are noticing things, like the local koalas, snakes and wallabies," she said.

"It's a wonderful program because it makes you so aware. We had all the information before, but we had never analysed it and put it in terms of carbon emissions. When you see your impact, that's when you go: ‘I can change that!' And it connects you with other people - they ask about our sign and want to join up."

The program has been a catalyst for Dayle and her husband Richard to become involved in other environmental initiatives such as the Caboolture region environmental education centre (CREEC) at Burpengary. They have also formed their own bush care group and are helping to promote the Living Smart Homes Project to other groups.

The Living Smart Homes Project is current being evaluated and will soon be extended to Caloundra residents. It will be made available to other councils next financial year.

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