A few hints to save on your electricity bill

A few nasty facts:

• The  average Australian house uses 38% of it’s  total energy consumption on heating and cooling.
• Every additional degree on your thermostat adds 5 – 10% to your energy costs.
• Draughts from poorly sealed doors and windows can account for up to 25% of heat/cooling loss.

The amount of energy your house is using is reflected on your power bills, and is generally defined  by:

• The dimensions and features of your house,  including whether its layout allows natural heating and cooling.
• The amount of large appliances in use, including their energy efficiency rating, and the way you use them.
• The age of your appliances and thus their energy rating.

General few tips to combat the above statistics:

• Roof insulation can save you up to 45% on your heating and cooling costs. So to take the heat out of your bill, make sure your home is well insulated.
• External wall insulation and even installing high insulating windows will further increase energy savings.
• Certainly, these are costly investments into an already established home – if insulation and double-glazed windows are not an option, make sure to keep your home closed on hot days, look into block-out curtains  and apply draught stripping to poorly fitted windows and doors to minimise draught.
• Close up your house during the day and open up the windows at night time (in summer)
• Use LED downlights instead on regular lights.
• Use energy-saving light bulbs
• Install solar panels. Although the rebate has lowered, it is still worth installing these for your own electricity bill’s sake.
• Avoid running devices on stand-by.
• Always underestimated- but dress for the season, eg. “layer up” in winter and use cool & breathable materials in the hotter months.
• Use another blanket at night time to keep warm.
• Use ceiling fans instead of the air conditioning,
• Service your air conditioning system.

Specific tips for heating your house:

• Set a rule to only switch on a heater when the temperature drops to a certain level.
• Reduce the usage of portable heaters, these consume a large amount of electricity and add on a large amount of dollars to your electricity bill.
• Turn down your gas heaters to the recommended manufacturer’s level.

Specific tips for cooling your house:I cannot state this enough:

• Use (ceiling) fans. Fans operate at a fraction of the cost of your air conditioning and involve less maintenance.
• If you still run an air con, make sure the outside unit is not facing the sun, otherwise shade it.
• Open your windows at night time.