Everyone Can Save Energy with the Top Ten Energy Savings Tips

Unless you’re one of those people who spend their nights by candle-light to avoid turning the lights on, 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: Lighting

Tip #1 of the top ten energy saving 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 energy bill, so if you’re not in a room, 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.

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 power bill. Just because it’s only a small part of your bill doesn’t mean you can’t make some savings. 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: Washing and Drying

Laundry appliances like the washing machine and dryer are big offenders when considering how to reduce 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.

Energy Saving Tip #4: Less Shower Time

You’re going to hate us for this one, but we’re afraid to say it’s true. Long showers are costing you big-time 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 bill.

Energy Saving Tip #5: 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 #6: 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 #7: 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.

Energy Saving Tip #8: Heating and Cooling

This is the biggest one in every house. Heating and cooling account for over a third of the average Aussie household’s energy use. Here’s a few simple tips to get the most out of your heating and cooling:

• Clean the filters on your air conditioner.
• Close doors to rooms you don’t need to heat. Keep the warmth where you need it.
• Close curtains and blinds to keep heat in when you need to. Also, keep them open and let some sunlight in when you can.
• Keep the temperature between 20-22 degrees. Every degree you go up, you’re getting slugged about 10% for.
• Stay away from electric heaters. They’re cheap to buy but horribly expensive to run.

Energy Saving Tip #9: The Family Energy Challenge

Get the kids involved in saving energy! Tour the house and get everybody to come up with one way they can commit to saving energy. It’s great for them to learn, and a great way for you to save some money. Maybe even nominate a reward if the family knocks a certain amount off your next bill, and making saving energy fun.

Energy Saving Tip #10: Find a Better Energy Deal

Out of all of the top ten energy saving tips, this is the biggest and will save you the most!! For this one, you don’t even need to adjust your lifestyle, because your friend Billy is taking care of it 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!