Fix those leaks.
Don’t let the heat or cool air escape. Seal any gaps around windows, check for any open unused chimneys and have them blocked up and use draft excluders around closed doors.

Check out these great DIY videos on how to draught proof your house by Sustainable Port Phillip.

Don’t pay for heating and cooling that you don’t need.
Every degree above 20 degrees can add 10 per cent to your heating bill. In winter, set your thermostat between 18 and 20 degrees. In summer, set your thermostat to 26 degrees or above.

Shut doors and close curtains.
Close vents and doors to rooms you aren’t using to keep warm/cool air where you need it most. Close your curtains or blinds when the sun has gone down. And remember, if there’s no one in a room, do not heat or cool it. 

Don’t leave it running overnight.
Running heating or cooling overnight is expensive. If you do feel cold at night, heat your bed with an electric blanket before you sleep. This is a much cheaper option – it only costs about 10 cents a night.

Save energy when you wash and dry clothes.
Washing clothes in cold water can save around $115 per year. When doing laundry, choose a short wash cycle and wait until your machine is full before starting the washing machine. Clothes dryer also uses a lot of energy. So opt for hanging your clothes outside or on a clothes rack so they can dry naturally.

Heat yourself.
Heat or cool yourself, not your room. Use items like Ugg boots, electric blankets, heating pads or mini USB fans as alternatives to heaters or air conditioners.

Use personal fans and adjust ceiling fans.
Fans are much cheaper to run than the air conditioner. If you have ceiling fans, set them to rotate counter-clockwise in summer to push air straight down, helping to create a cooling effect and clockwise in winter to pull cool air up.

Let someone else pay for your heating and cooling.
Can you spend the day at the library or at shopping centre? Check out the Keep Cool in Darebin map, your guide to where to cool down and access help on a hot day in Darebin for free.