Ten Energy Savings Tips To Reduce Your Electricity Bill
So we’re coming to the end of summer, which normally means we will get electricity bill shock from a lot of electricity usage over the past couple of months (even Billy Explores loves the air-con!!)
If you are looking to reduce your electricity bill though, here are 10 energy saving tips there’s probably a bunch of small changes you could make to save money on your energy bill. It’s easy to complain about energy prices, but the truth is most Aussie households could be doing a lot more to minimise the impact of rising prices. Read on to find out where you can make the biggest savings with a few simple energy tips that anybody can follow.
Energy Saving Tip #1: Heating and Cooling
Most important energy saving tip to reduce your electricity usage and help reduce your electricity bill (especially at this time of year) is heating and cooling. Did you know that heating and cooling account for over a third of the average Aussie household’s electricity usage? Here’s a few energy saving tips to get the most out of your heating and cooling:
- Clean the filters on your air conditioner.
- Keep the temperature between 20-22 degrees. Every degree you go up or down, you’re getting slugged an additional about 10%
- Open the windows and use natural ventilation and wind to keep you cool if you can
- Close doors to rooms you don’t need to cool or heat. Keep the cool or warmth where you need it.
- Close curtains and blinds to keep heat in or out when you need to (for example close the curtains when the sun is on that window).Or during winter, keep them open and let the natural heat in.
- Stay away from electric heaters. They’re cheap to buy but horribly expensive to run.
Energy Saving Tip #2: Turn it Off at the Wall
While it only accounts for around 3% of energy use, the standby mode on home appliances is a good place to shave a few dollars from your electricity bill. Just because it’s only a small part of your bill doesn’t mean you can’t make some savings and reduce your electricity bill. We’re talking about microwaves, stereos, televisions and other entertainment devices, computers, and even laptops on standby if you’ve got them plugged in. There’s no benefit to leaving them on except being able to turn them on again from the couch. Turn them off at the wall and save some money!
Energy Saving Tip #3: Lighting
The next in our energy tips is a good one. We all had parents who were constantly nagging us to turn lights off around the house. Some of us are now doing it to our own kids, and there’s a good reason. Quite simply, leaving lights on wastes power! Lighting can be responsible for around 10% of your electricity bill, so if you’re not in a room, take our energy saving tips and turn the lights off.
Aside from turning the lights off, investing in energy-efficient light globes is a great idea. They’re slightly more expensive but they last way longer and use less energy than the cheaper globes. Another great energy tip to minimise electricity usage!
Energy Saving Tip #4: Energy-Friendly Appliances
Whenever you’re in the market for a new appliance, be sure to check the energy rating. Those ratings aren’t all about how good they are for the environment – they’re also an indication of how efficient they’re going to be in your home. Most people keep larger appliances for a number of years, so make sure they’re as energy efficient as possible. The small savings on the purchase price will mean nothing in the long run if they chew through excessive power every time you use them.
Also, another great energy tips is to maximise your home energy rate, and not use these appliances at peak times and be hit with peak rates on energy. You just need to be aware of your peak and off-peak rates.
Energy Saving Tip #5: Washing and Drying
Laundry appliances like the washing machine and dryer are big offenders when considering how to reduce your electricity bill at home. Sometimes you need to use the dryer, but not every day. In warmer months, use the clothes line outside. In cooler months, or if you live in an apartment, use an air dryer to hang your clothes on. If you’ve got a heater going, those clothes will dry quick enough.
As far as washing goes, make sure you have a full load of dirty clothes to avoid unnecessary wash cycles and do it in cold water to save on the water heating costs at the same time.
Finally, try to use these appliances at non-peak times to save on peak rates on energy. Check out your household energy plan, this information should be on there.
Energy Saving Tip #6: Less Shower Time
This won’t be a popular one, but it’s an energy tip that will help you reduce your electricity bill! Long showers are costing you lots when it comes to your power bill. If you’re a habitual long shower taker, you don’t have to change the world in one day. Just start by gradually reducing your shower time. Use an alarm if you have to. Water heating is the second most costly form of energy usage in the home, so if you can make some changes here, you’re guaranteed to see results on your electricity bill.
Energy Saving Tip #7: Check the Seals
Dodgy seals on doors and windows are letting cold air back into the rooms your heating systems are desperately trying to heat up. Do yourself a favour and check those seals to make sure your nice warm room stays that way.
While we’re on the topic of seals, check the ones on other appliances like your fridge and oven. If they’re not working, the appliances are working harder than they need to and costing you money.
Energy Saving Tip #8: Cooking Up the Savings
Ovens are fairly power-hungry appliances, so if you can use an electric frypan or other appliance, you’ll save some money. If you do need to use the oven, maybe consider making extra food so you’ve got leftovers. It’s one less night that you’re using costly cooking appliances, but it also gets you out of cooking for a night. It’s a double win!
Also in the kitchen, think about your dishwasher use. Fill it up with as many small items as you can, but don’t waste space with pots, pans and larger items. Wash those by hand and reduce the number of times you use the dishwasher.
Energy Saving Tip #9: Insulate Your Home
Insulation improves energy efficiency in your home. It helps maintain a natural temperature during both winter and summer. In fact, on average insulation can help you save about 45% of you electricity bill cost per year! Now that’s a great energy saving tip to reduce your electricity bill!
Energy Saving Tip #10: Find a Better Energy Deal
Of course, the best energy tip out of all of our energy saving tips is compare your home energy rate and see if you can get a better deal on your household energy plan! Out of all of the ten energy saving tips to reduce your electricity bill, this is the biggest and will save you the most!! For this one, you don’t even need to adjust your lifestyle, because Billy Explores has everything sorted for you. Stop by our energy compare page and let us give you all the information you need to potentially get a cheaper deal on your gas and electricity from our panel of providers.
You’ll also find plenty of other energy saving articles to go with these top ten energy saving tips here at Billy Explores. And it’s all free!
