Upgrading your house with energy saving devices doesn’t have to break the bank, according to a Highvale resident.

John Clark says adding water tanks, insulation and solar panels when building or renovating a home makes sense – and saves you dollars and cents.

“The beauty of it is you can have a house that isn’t functioning that well and make it function better,” Mr Clark said.

Samford has one of the highest uptakes of solar panels in Australia, and Mr Clark is on board with the clean energy revolution.

After affixing 1.5kW solar panels to the roof of his home, his electricity bill dropped from $200 to $50 per quarter.

Add to that the ceiling insulation warming his house in Winter, and energy saving becomes a habit.

“We’ve been more conscious now of our power,” Mr Clark said.

“You wouldn’t leave a tap running all the time but people seem to leave lights and appliances on for no reason.

“The last two Summers... we used our air conditioner twice – once last Summer and once the Summer before.”

Mr Clark’s two water tanks hold a combined storage of 35,000L, providing water for outside taps and toilets and an underground irrigation system for gardens.

Mr Clark will open his home to the public on 9 September as part of National Sustainable House Day.

“The more people become aware of it (saving energy) the cost isn’t really a great hindrance, if they think it’s going to save them money in the long term,” he said.

Visit http://www.sustainablehouseday.com/