Smart energy efficient tips to reduce your power bills!
Do you find understanding your electricity bill is like needing a master’s degree in medicine? Don’t worry you’re not alone! That’s why we’ve made it easier with our smart ways to be energy efficient this winter - sure to warm you up and reduce your electricity bills!
In a nutshell here’s how the average Australian is spending their money on electricity:
Source: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/1345.4Feature%20Article1Aug%202009
We’ve compiled some small and big energy efficient tips to help reduce your electricity bill this winter.
Start smart and small….
Be practical. Dress for the weather
Instead of turning the heater up, rug up and reach for your favourite jumper or even slip into your flannies. Heaters are great, but see if a good old jumper can warm you up first. Keep your thermostat between 18 and 20 degrees - each degree over 20 uses about 10 per cent more energy.
Fan-cy a cup of tea?
Did you know a full kettle costs more to boil than it is to run a ceiling fan for an hour?
If you use your kettle several times throughout the day, making tea, coffee or to fill your hot water bottle, it’s best to only put water in the kettle as you need. Boiling smaller amounts could lower the costs on your power bill more than you think!
Sunshine is your friend
Take advantage of heat from the sun. Sunlight is an excellent natural warmer for your house during winter. Open curtains and blinds on sunny days to let in the heat and close all the curtains and windows at sunset to trap the warmth in your home.
Cover drafty windows
A leaky house is a wasteful house. Air leakage can account for 15 to 25 per cent of winter heat loss at home. Avoid up to 24 per cent of heat loss by sealing gaps and cracks, covering fan outlets and fireplaces when not in use. In fact, Australian buildings leak warm air two to four times more than European homes and buildings.
Maintain your heating systems
We know that the average Australian home uses about 40 per cent of its energy on heating and cooling so even maintaining your heating system can lead to some killer savings.
Get your heater serviced regularly to keep it running efficiently. A well-maintained heating system will perform much better and provide greater energy-efficiency than an old, broken unit. Replace any broken parts, clean out the filters and even cleaning the dust and fluff from the fan can save on your electricity costs this winter.
Hot tip: Concentrate on heating only the rooms that need it. Closing doors to rooms you aren’t using means you’ll use less energy to heat the rest of the house.
Now for the big energy saving tips that are sure to reduce your energy usage and drop your power bill…
Invest in insulation
Insulating your ceiling, floors and walls along with air sealing will help keep your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Increasing your home's insulation is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to reduce your electricity bill.
Harness the sun
Add solar panels to your roof and create your own electricity. With a Reposit smart monitoring program, know when to turn on your most power hungry appliances such as your air conditioner and dishwasher to get the best value from the electricity you’re generating.
Make the most of your solar with Reposit
Reposit gives you the information you need to make intelligent decisions about how and when you use energy, and what future energy investments you should make.
Understanding when you have excess energy can help you determine the best time to set timers on your appliances so you rarely have to rely on the electricity grid and consequently run your home off your own ‘free’ solar energy.
