Here are some handy tips on how you can lower your quarterly bills.
Did you know, the average Australian household uses a whopping 38% more power over the winter months.
Winter Solstice is officially behind us, but the weather is still c-c-cold. As the weather cools down, our energy bills go up – so let’s look at some handy ways we can save on power..
Minimize hot water wastage
When you come to think about our habits in winter, we tend to like a hotter, longer, showers, therefore using less cold water in the mix, means we churn through the hot water. And, we don’t have the power of the sun to heat up the cold water naturally so the ambient cold water temperature drops, so it makes sense that we increase our power consumption.
DY Plumbers have explained why our water does not seem to be as hot in winter. Check out this link for more any tips on how to reduce hot water wastage.
Program your heater
As tempting as it is to blast the heater first thing in the morning to ease the shock of getting out of a warm bed, look at setting the thermostat to 18-20C and the timer to start 20 minutes before your wake-up time and to turn off 20 minutes prior to leaving the house for the day or to go to bed. This simple tip can save a lot in power usage in maintaining the temperature not to mention getting ready for the day all the more easier.
Check your Windows and doors
Check for any gaps or cracks around your windows. While you can lose up to ten times more heat through windows than walls, it’s a relatively easy and inexpensive to remedy. Make sure your windows are well sealed by using a foam or plastic seal strip to ensure the windows are sealed tightly. Similarly, the use of a storm proof seal or door snakes on the bottom of external doors stop warm air escaping and cold air penetrating the home. And don’t forget make use of your blinds – keep them open to let us sun in during the day, and close your blinds when to sun goes down – this can save up to 10% heat loss in your room.
Ceiling fans
Did you know there is a winter mode on your ceiling fan? There is a switch above the blades – switching this to winter mode reverses the movement of the blades and pushes down into the room the hot air that rises throughout the day, or from heating. This works the best when keeping the fan on a low speed.
Reuse heat
If you are using the oven to cook, after you have finished your delicious meal – turn the oven off and leave the door open so the heat can radiate through the kitchen. You would be surprised how much of a difference this can make to the ambient temperature of your kitchen.
Get back to basics…
Go for a walk around the block to get the blood pumping and, as we were told when we were younger, put a jumper on! It is surprising how a few extra layers can do wonders to keep us warm. This, paired with a nice cup of tea, heats us both internally and externally. Trying this before using power to heat ourselves heat up will make a surprising adjustment to our quarterly power bill shock.