We’re keen to do our bit to help you save energy.

We know that farmers are always keen to try new ways to save money on their energy bills. So at Genesis Energy, we’ve listened to your needs and thought we’d make it easier for you to use less energy. We’ve put together some tried and tested energy-saving ideas to help you save money on your farm today and for many years to come.

On the Farm

For the Dairy Shed

For the Field & Orchard

On the Farm

• Record your monthly consumption and compare it to your past consumption and production records. Large variations in energy use provide an early warning of any problems.
• Ensure equipment and lighting is switched off wherever possible when not in use.
• Insulate your hot water cylinders and pipes - plus repair any leaks and check the thermostat settings regularly.
• When replacing a hot water cylinder or motor, correctly size it to the application and choose a high efficiency model - not necessarily the cheapest. Annual running costs of motors can be five times the capital cost.
• Upgrade your light bulbs. For example try replacing a 60W incandescent bulb with a 15W or 20W compact fluorescent - not only do they last longer, they also have the same light output at a lower wattage and use about 66% less energy.
• Replace any 38mm fluorescent light tubes with 26mm NG triphospher light tubes. They use up to 8% less energy and give out at least 50% more light, so you may only need one tube where previously you used two.
• Carry out regular preventative maintenance to keep equipment working efficiently and to further reduce energy use.
• Use electricity at off-peak times and consider putting load onto controlled rates to further reduce costs.

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For the Dairy Shed

• For your milking system, investigate installing a variable speed drive (VSD) to control your vacuum pump and save up to 52% on its energy use.
• For milk chilling, always use a plate pre-cooler heat exchanger and consider insulating your milk vat with a wrap. A vat wrap can help you achieve energy savings of up to 21% of your milk chilling energy use.
• Regularly service your refrigeration unit and check the condensing coils are free of obstructions and dust. This will clear airflow and improve operating efficiency.
• Water heating uses 32% of your energy use within the dairy shed. Use the warm water from the pre-cooler as supply for the hot water cylinders and install a heat recovery system. A heat recovery system can reduce your water-heating energy use by up to 56%.

Check out our Genesis Energy Dairy Efficiency Calculator. It gives you a more detailed look at exactly where you can make the most savings in your dairy shed. We also have a site devoted to helping you save:

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For the Field and Orchard

Applying water to pastures and crops can consume up to 70% of the total on-farm electricity consumption. This is due to the amount of energy needed to drive the motors that power the pumps.

• If you are currently using valves to control the flow of water, discuss installing a variable speed drive (VSD) with your irrigation system consultant. This will match the power requirement to what is required to deliver the water volume. A 20% reduction in flow will reduce power consumption by 45% using a VSD.
• The most efficient time to irrigate is during the hours of darkness when there is no direct evaporation effect from the sun. Talk to us to see if night rates are available for your area.
• Use gravity supply where possible to eliminate the need for pumping water.
• Vary irrigation rates across the farm to match the different soil and crop conditions.
• Monitor water use and demand with a meter.
• Use a soil moisture sensor or a professional service to schedule your irrigation applications.
• Irrigate little and often - do not irrigate below the active root zone.
• Where appropriate, use mulching and/or shelter belts to conserve applied water.
• Ensure pumps are regularly maintained and any leaks or blockages repaired promptly.

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Genesis Energy has sourced this information from a number of different industry publications, advisors and from Genesis Energy audited farms. The percentages stated in the Dairy Shed Section refer to energy use on a non-irrigated farm.

We’d love to help

To show you how serious we are about helping your business save energy, we’ve set up a special dedicated rural line - 0800 600 950 - to give you access to the advice and help of our rural specialist team. You can talk to them about everything from payment options to saving power on your irrigation pump.

Our rural specialists are available from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. If you call after hours, you can still access your account information through EasyPhone - our automated phone service.

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