There has never been a better time to re-think the way your household uses energy. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to spend more time at home, potentially using more energy than usual, while the effects of the pandemic has many of us concerned about finances and looking for ways to reduce our living costs.
Luckily, saving on your energy bill isn’t rocket science. There are quick and cost-efficient measures and solutions you can employ to avoid bill-shock both now and into the future. The added benefit of looking to save on your energy bill is that it’s helping reduce your impact on the environment, as well as the impact on your hip pocket.
Saving on electricity bills - what to consider
No two households are set-up the same, and therefore the changes you’ll make and the impact you’ll have in reducing your energy costs will be unique to you. A good jumping-off point is to examine how much energy you use, when you use it, and which energy-saving solutions can give you the biggest bang for your buck.
Things to consider when trying to save on your energy bill include:
- Your home – how big is it and what features does it have that may impact energy consumption?
- Your appliances – how many do you have and how energy efficient are they?
- Your lifestyle – how does your daily routine effect your energy use, and what time of day do you use the most energy?
- Your energy provider – how do you currently get your energy, and are you getting the best outcome from your current contract or set-up?
Top 5 ways to save on your energy bills
- Install energy efficient lighting – You might be surprised how much energy inefficient bulbs can add to your energy bill, especially if you’re still using incandescent or halogen bulbs. Energy efficient lighting has come a long way, and the cost of replacing lighting with more efficient options has never been more affordable. Depending on the size of your home and the spaces you have to light, you might be tempted to balk at the initial cost to replace all your lighting at once, especially if you plan on replacing bulbs with LED lighting. Remember, though - you can always go room by room to spread out the cost, and always keep in mind the long term energy savings you’ll be making.
- Use working from home to reduce your energy costs – We know that being stuck in lockdown is no-one’s favourite thing, but the switch many of us have made to working from home has exposed some surprising benefits in our lives. If you’re spending more time at home, a major opportunity exists for you to change your energy usage patterns and save money. The biggest consumers of energy in your home are your large motor appliances – things like air conditioning systems, washing machines, dryers and dishwashers. Now that you’re at home, you have the chance to use these appliances to complete your household chores during the day, when energy usage rates are lower. Most of these modern appliances even give you the option of using timers so you can set and forget. A small change in habit can lead to noticeable energy savings on your bill.
- Compare Electricity Providers – Like with any cost cutting exercise, you owe it to yourself to examine your current energy provider contract, and make sure you’re getting the best deal. Shopping around for energy providers can be done in moments through comparison sites like Canstar Blue or others. As energy providers frequently change their pricing structures, you may be surprised to learn that an offer you may have signed up for some time ago may not be providing the market leading value it once did.
- Switch off appliances at the wall – It seems too easy, right? That’s the point. Appliances like televisions, microwaves, dishwashers and phone chargers consume energy even when they aren’t being used, meaning you’re paying for nothing. Switch off to save!
- Check your appliance settings and usage habits – Another easy way to save on your energy bills is to make sure you’re using your main appliances in the most efficient way possible.
If you’ve been influenced in your appliance purchase decision by an energy efficiency rating, make sure you’re using the right settings to take advantage of this. Make sure your fridge isn’t too cold, your TV isn’t too bright for the room, and use eco-friendly settings on dishwashers and washing machines.
Greater Bank
Some simple things to remember:
Even if none of our top tips are applicable to you, here are four simple things you might be able to consider that could save the average household of four people around $760 per year*.
- Got a second fridge in the garage? Turning it off for good could save you around $172 a year.
- Using lockdown to get some serious gaming time in? When you’re not using your console, switch it off at the wall to save up to $193 a year.
- Addicted to the convenience of your clothes dryer? It’s a hard habit to break, but hanging out the clothes once a week instead of tumble drying them could save you around $79 a year.
- Pouring money down the drain? By getting a water-efficient 4-star showerhead, you could be up to $315 a year better off on your water bills, not to mention the flow-on energy savings made from having to heat less water.
*Your exact savings may very depending on the type and age of your appliances, how big your home is, the climate you live in, the current price you pay for energy or your current energy contract.
This article is intended to provide general information of an educational nature only. Information in this article is current as at the date of publication.