We are all trying to lead more energy efficient and energy aware lives, this helps the environment of course but it can also help you save money. We have put together 20 energy saving tips that can not only help the environment but help your back pocket too.
1. Actually read and question your electricity bill, take the time to look into where you are using your power and your power usage compared to previous bills.
2. Talk to your electricity provider and ask for a better deal, you’ll be surprised and what they can offer if you just ask.
3. Make the most of natural light through out the home, take advantage of windows and sky lights if possible.
4. Turn lights off when not in use- an obvious one but sometimes not always done.
5. Turn appliances off at the power point, this can cut your electricity usage by up to 11%.
6. Use energy efficient LED lights, they use 80% less energy and last a lot longer.
7. Ensure your home is well insulated, a well insulated home can be up to 7 degrees warmer in Winter and 10 degrees cooler in Summer.
8. Install heavy curtains, this can halve your homes heat loss during Winter.
9. Air Conditioning is great, but ceiling fans are the most energy efficient form of cooling, they are also the cheapest to buy and run.
10. If you do have air conditioning, only use it when it is really necessary and try to avoid changing the temperature too much (this can increase operating costs), also close off unoccupied rooms and only heat/cool the main areas to cut down on costs.
11. Consider a solar hot water system for your home, energy consumption generated by Australian homes could be cut by at least 20% if people converted their hot water systems to solar.
12. Consider a front load washing machine, they use less water and up to 15% less energy than top loading machines.
13. Take note of the age and efficiency rating of your kitchen appliances, older appliances are not as energy efficient as the newer model. For example an older fridge can use 3 times as much energy as a newer model.
14. Make sure your dishwasher is full before you turn it, it costs the same amount to run a half load or a full load to ensure you’re getting the most out of every cycle.
15. Use your cook top, pressure cooker and microwave before your oven, they are all more energy efficient than your oven.
16. Use your kettle to boil water instead of your stove/cook top, they use significantly less energy.
17. Consider installing a timer on outdoor and sensor lights, do not leave them on all night or all day.
18. Pool pumps can be very expensive to run, make sure you have the correct size filter and find out how long it should be kept on to keep the pool clean, even this can be put on a timer to bring down usage costs.
19. If you do have a pool, consider using solar powered heating.
20. Consider installing a solar photo-voltaic system to your home or business, when used correctly these system can make your electricity bills either non-existent or very, very low. There are also battery systems now available which can allow you to go off the grid completely. (not sure how the systems work? Let us know and we’ll explain how to get the benefits from your solar power systems)
