RIPPONLEA PRIMARY SCHOOL

Sustainability Corner

SUSTAINABILITY UPDATES

Did you know that each year our Student Sustainability Leaders from grades 5&6 recruit sustainability reps from each of the junior classes?  The leaders are currently getting these representatives up and running to help with key activities around the school including:

  • Watering gardens and any newly planted beds 
  • Composting
  • Improving waste separation & recycling in the classroom

This is a great opportunity for classroom reps, and their peers, to get exposure to sustainable practises as well as a little bit of ‘how things work’.  Any parent engagement or support with this initiative is of course welcomed and will contribute to its success!

 

Winter Sustainability Tips for Families

As the chills hint toward setting in, and as energy prices remain high for the foreseeable future, we wanted to share some top tips on how Ripper families can keep energy bills down this winter. 

  1. Set your heating to 18 – 20 degrees: Every degree higher than this temperature can add around 15% to a gas bill.  Also consider shutting the door to areas not being used and only heat the rooms being used to save energy and money.  Close curtains and blinds to keep the warm air in and reduce heat loss through your windows when there’s no winter sunshine!
  2. Fit draught seals to window and door openings: A range of seals can be found at your local hardware store.  There is also a list of weather sealing contractors & incentives at the following vic government website. https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/for-households/victorian-energy-upgrades-for-households/weather-sealing 
  3. Roof-space insulation: Effective ceiling insulation can save you up to 20% on your cooling and heating costs.
  4. Turn off non-essential appliances at the switch: When not in use, turn non-essential appliances such as computers, televisions and entertainment systems off at the power-point. Electronic devices can use up to 10% of your household's electricity on standby.
  5. Replace old showerheads and save hot water: Did you know that replacing old showerheads with a more efficient ones can save around $160 yearly on energy and water bills?

For a full list of tips refer to https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/for-households/save-energy-and-money/top-10-energy-saving-tips/winter-energy-saving-tips