Jump to: About the Service - What happens during a free home assessment - Eligibility - How to book - DIY Kits - 2018/19 Winners - Find out more
Book a FREE HOME ASSESSMENT and win $1500 of home improvements!
Sign up now and enter the draw to be 1 of 3 lucky winners of $1,500 to spend on environmental improvements for your home. Open to all City of Ryde residents who submit a completed application and have a home assessment completed by Council. Owners and tenants of a house or apartment are eligible to apply.
Applications close on 31 January 2023. Terms and Conditions apply.
About the Service
Let us help you create a comfortable, healthy and efficient home whilst also saving money on your bills. The Home Waste and Sustainability Advisory Service offers free advice to Ryde residents that will help you understand how you can reduce your home's running costs - and at the same time improve its comfort and environmental performance.
Home Assessments
Are your utility bills ever increasing? Do you feel like your home is extremely hot in summer and freezing in winter? Would you like to install solar panels or replace your electric hot water heater and save energy and money?
Book a home assessment with us to receive tailored advice that will help you identify energy, water and waste savings in your home, and make it more liveable, affordable and healthier.
During the assessment, a Council advisor will review your energy and water bills and walk through your home with you, pointing out the most energy and water consuming behaviours and appliances before delivering you with a personalised Action Plan. The Plan recommends actions your household can take to improve its efficiency and comfort and outlines how to better manage your waste.
What happens during the Home Sustainability Assessment?
- A pre-assessment self-survey will be sent to you as a link by email. Please complete the survey to the best of your ability at least 1 day prior to the assessment.
- Inspection of energy/water bills – you are asked to please provide a copy of recent energy and water bills. This is to compare data and assists in assessing usage within the home thereby allowing development of a tailored report. These can be sent by text or email.
- A Council Sustainability Assessor will call you at your designated booking time.
- Before commencing the assessment Council staff will explain how the assessment will be conducted.
- The Audit - The Council officer will talk with you about your home and point out the most energy and water consuming behaviours/appliances.
- You will receive a personalised Sustainability Plan that outlines the areas you can save $ on electricity and water, and how you can improve your waste management practices.
- Council program follow up – Council will contact you in 3-12 months’ time to review savings and changes from participating in the project.
Council provides this free for a limited number of City of Ryde residents. The assessment process takes approximately 1 hour.
Eligibility
This program is open to all City of Ryde residents. It is open to owners and tenants of a house or an apartment.
How to make a booking?
Ryde residents can book a free home assessment from a Council advisor between 8 am and 3 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (Saturday bookings are available according to demand).
If you are interested in a Home Assessment, please complete either:
View the Terms & Conditions.
DIY - Save power kits
Save Power Kits can help you learn more about power use in your home. Each kit contains a range of tools to help you identify where energy is being wasted, such as a power usage meter to measure electricity from appliances and an infrared thermometer and compass to measure the optimal temperature of your home.
Kits also include a guidebook and worksheets to help you develop an action plan so you can start saving energy immediately. The kits may be borrowed from all of Ryde's Libraries.
The kits do not provide advice on reducing water use and waste. To obtain a full assessment of your water, waste and energy, book a Home Assessment with the Home Waste and Sustainability Advisory Service (see How to make a booking above).
2018/19 Winners
The winners of the 2018/19 Home Assessment Competition are:
- E. Buddle
- W. Chung
- S. Chaney
Past Home Assessment competition winners have put their winnings toward some of the following sustainable home initiatives:
- Roof insulation
- Solar panels
- Pool cover
- LED lighting
- Double glazed windows
Find out more
Contact Council’s Home Waste and Sustainability Advisor on 9952 8198 or email hwsa@ryde.nsw.gov.au.