Home Waste and Sustainability Advisory Service

House with roof with solar panels

Jump to: What happens during a free home assessment - EligibilityHow to book - DIY Kits - Home improvements made by past winners - Find out more

Book a FREE HOME ASSESSMENT and be in the running to 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 sustainable improvements for your home such as roof insulation and solar panels. 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 30 June 2025. Terms and Conditions apply, view them below.

Click here to sign up for a free home assessment

Do you feel like your home is extremely hot in summer and freezing in winter but wish it were comfortable, healthy and efficient? Would you like to know how to minimise your utility bill costs or run on Net Zero energy? Or maybe you have thought about installing solar panels but not sure where to start? Perhaps you would just like to reduce waste and liver smarter?

The Home Waste and Sustainability Advisory Service offers free tailored 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.

What happens during the Home Sustainability Assessment?

A Council advisor will review your home and its energy and water bills and point out the most energy and water consuming behaviours and appliances. 

You may receive a personalised action plan with recommended actions your household can take to improve its efficiency and comfort, including how to better manage your waste.

  • Sign up and complete the home sustainability survey at the above link.
  • 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 energy and water usage within the home. These can be sent to hwsa@ryde.nsw.gov.au or 0466 553 397.
  • If you nominate to receive a Home Sustainability Assessment Report you will get a personalised action plan that outlines the areas you can save money on electricity and water, and how you can improve your waste management practices.
  • If you nominate to receive an optional phone or in-home consultation, a Council Sustainability Assessor will call you to book this in.
  • Council program follow up – Council will contact you in 3-12 months time to complete a Home Sustainability Evaluation to review savings and changes from participating in the program. Completion of this evaluation puts you in the draw for one of three prizes of $1500 toward sustainable home improvements.

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 participate

City of Ryde residents can book a free home assessment from a Council advisor between 8 am and 3 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

If you are interested in a Home Assessment, please complete either:

View the Terms & Conditions below.

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 energy use of appliances and an infrared thermometer to gauge the thermal performance 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 branches of City of Ryde 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).

Home improvements made by past competition winners

Past Home Assessment competition winners have put their winnings toward some of the following sustainable home initiatives:

  • Roof insulation
  • Underfloor insulation
  • Solar panels
  • Pool cover
  • LED lighting
  • Double glazed windows
  • Upgrade to energy efficient appliances.

Find out more

Contact Council’s Home Waste and Sustainability Advisor on 0466 553 397 or email hwsa@ryde.nsw.gov.au.