The power to save residents on their winter heating bills.

In collaboration with Junee Community Inc, years nine and 10 students spent the night of June 21 hunting for the town’s ‘power leaks’.

The 28 students pointed infrared cameras towards potential leak spots around homes, to identify ways to better insulate against energy escape.

Blocking the common leak spots helped some residents shave an estimated $400 off their energy costs.

“It was excellent to see that Junee high can make a difference in power saving and heating by helping people find ways to insulate and save money,” said Scott Frazier, one of the teachers involved with the program.

“Some people were looking at saving half their bill through heat management.” 

Mr Frazier said the students were surprised to see just how easily the leaks could be stopped.

“Using things like door stops, or snake seals, or painting black plastic over ventilation shafts so they don’t lose heat from the gaps. Mostly they’re very simple ways to save,” he said.

This was the first time the program has been run in the Riverina, but over the past two years it has been trialed by the CSIRO in Adelaide.