Guide to saving on your energy bills
Energy bills are getting more expensive and we are being encouraged to compare providers to get the best deal possible. However, there is also a lot that you can do individually that can impact positively on reducing your energy bills and preventing that nasty surprise in the mail!
Before you begin to think about what savings you might be able to achieve – you need to understand what your current consumption habits are. Electricity bills have two components – a fixed cost for providing the service to your home and a variable charge that is directly linked to what you use and when you use it. By reducing your consumption at peak times, you will help reduce your bill and the drain on the electricity networks. It is the network costs that are predominantly responsible for driving our charges up so high.
Some quick and easy things to do that will have a positive impact are:
Do your laundry in cold water. Cold water detergents are very effective.
If you have a second fridge – turn it off when not in use.
Dry clothes on a clothes line rather than using the dryer. If you like your towels nice and fluffy – try line drying them first and then only using the dryer for a few minutes at the end to soften them.
Switch off appliances at the power outlet when not in use. Many appliances continue to draw on stand-by power even when switched off. For example – a computer games console left on could be costing you nearly $200 per year. Microwaves are another appliance that continually draw power. So, if you can – turn your microwave off at the wall.
Do a load of washing overnight – some machines have a delayed start that you can use for this.
Have different bedding for different seasons so that you don’t rely on cooling and heating.
Close doors of rooms that you are not using so that you contain your cooling and heating to the rooms that need it.
In winter – keep curtains open in the day to let in the sun.
In summer – draw curtains to keep the sun out and your rooms cool.
Get into the habit of turning off lights when you are not in a room – establish a jar (like a swear jar) for when you and your family forget and use the money that is collected to go towards the energy bill.
Where possible, and if in your budget, upgrade your key appliances to ones with high energy saving ratings. Energy efficient appliances can literally save you $100’s a year. A fridge alone can contribute about 18% of all your energy appliance costs.
Think about prepping your food for the week on the weekend when your energy costs are lowest.
Cook in bulk and freeze your meals.
Instead of relying on your microwave to defrost things from the freezer – defrost things throughout the day in your fridge.
Electric fry-pans and pressure cookers use less energy than electric ovens – so use when you can.
Lastly, take note of when your tariff charges apply. A tariff means that your electricity is charged at a different rate depending on the time of day or the day of the week. For instance:
Peak rates are when the cost is highest and usually in the evening Monday to Friday. This is when you are most likely to be cooking, cooling or heating the home after coming home from work, using computers for homework and watching the evening news on TV.
Off Peak rates are when the cost of electricity is at its lowest – overnight and on weekends.
Check with your energy provider when these rates kick in so that you can adjust your energy consumption habits to optimise your savings, or ask them about swapping to a different tariff structure to suit your family and lifestyle habits.
