I loathe that so much of our money seems to leak away paying for things that you don't get any benefit from, and after the last whopping summer electricity bill, I have finally managed to get DH on the same page.
So, I'm after your best electricity saving tips, please.
Things we're already looking at: getting powerboards with individual switches so we can easily turn things off without having to scrabble around behind furniture.
Getting strict with turning lights off when we're not in the room, and tv off when no one's really watching it.
DH has bought an electricity cost meter, you plug it in to work out how much electricity your appliances are chewing through (suspect this might lead to the purchasing of a new fridge...stay tuned)!
Vaccuum the coils at the back of the fridge regularly so they lose heat easier.
Going to check out some comparison websites and find a cheaper plan.
Any other brilliant ideas for saving power and $$?? Would love to hear them!
Line drying clothes, only using dishwasher and washing machine when full and on Eco option, installing skylights in dark areas( super easy and effective for small spaces we just did our bathrooms! ) can't think of anything else!
Hot water cylinder - if you all have showers in the morning then you can usually get by turning it off in the morning and back on to heat overnight when the rate is cheaper. Might mean boiling the jug for dish water after tea, but can save quite a bit. Also get a cylinder wrap to keep the heat in.
MD..my father works for one of the major elect. co. in NSW...it was his job many years ago to advise people how to save money on their bills, and how to reduce them etc. One of the biggest energy munchers is obviously heating and cooling....a/c's, heaters, ducted etc. Heating is much more expensive than cooling (your a/c works harder). If (like in middle of winter) you must have your heat on, dont haveit on the highest temp, reduce it a bit. Reverse for cooling....
Leaving appliannces on (eg kettle turned on at powerpoint etc), whilst we've been trained to turn the switch off, it costs like nothing to actually have it on.
We got a huge bill last winter.... Our energy company went thru every item in my house that i may use day to day....the culprit. Aircon...approx $7 per day (over winter, we have it on every day)....times that over a 3 mths period, along with the rise in energy costs...and this explained an awful lot.
Curtains! Draw them at last light to keep in the heat, and draw them in the morning to let in the light. Separating rooms with doors to "zone" the house for cooling / heating. On hot days, don't put on the aircon, head to the library. And insulate. If your house is lifted (eg garage under the house) then spend a little time putting in insulation. And if you own, then instead of putting a permanent structure up, grow grape (or other deciduous) vines to shade in summer and allow light in winter. Plus they are really cooling with the moisture from the leaves. Use drying racks whenever possible.
Your best electricity saving tips please!
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