Tips to Save Money on Your Power Bills This Summer
#1: Ensure your air con is working smarter, not harder!
Resist the temptation to turn your air con on full-blast to cool the room faster. (All that does is chew up electricity!) Instead, set your air conditioner to around 25°C with a moderate fan speed. Slow and steady wins the race when cooling your home without raising the power bill exorbitantly.
#2: Stop the leaks and block out the heat
Be on the lookout for places where warm air can enter your air conditioned room, like under doorways and via open windows. Place a rolled-up towel along the bottom of the door to keep the cold air in. Make sure all your windows are fully closed and draw your curtains or blinds to dramatically reduce the amount of heat entering the room from outside. If you have an open plan lounge or kitchen area, close all the doors to the bedrooms and bathrooms.
#3: Fans are your friend
Before you reach for the air con remote, consider switching a fan on instead. Fans are much more energy efficient than air conditioners, yet they can can be highly effective at cooling you down on a hot day. Additionally, keep the fans free from dust, this makes a huge difference to the efficiency of the fans.
#4: Look after your air con and it will look after you
Your air conditioner will perform better if it is serviced regularly. Refrigeration mechanics use high pressure cleaners to remove mould, bacteria and other build-up from your air conditioner filters. If left unserviced, your air conditioner has to work a lot harder to cool your home, chewing up extra kilowatts along the way. In some cases, this can be as high as 25%.
#5: Make the most of long summer days
Summer means longer days as the sun sets later in the evening compared with winter. Instead of sweltering inside around the dining table, head outside instead. Barbecuing outside means you won’t be heating up the kitchen with a hot oven or stove top. Instead, spending time outside also allows you to save electricity by turning off the television, the computer and any unused lights inside.
#6: Add solar lights to your garden at night
Solar lighting solutions are friends for your wallet as they seldom contribute to the power bill. They cost next to nothing to run as they are powered by energy from the sun captured earlier in the day and make your outdoor area all the more appealing for an evening meal.
#7: Run your pool pump as efficiently as possible
Pool pumps have come a long way when it comes to energy efficiency. Most have the option of working off a timer, enabling them to run at cheaper times of the day, when electricity prices are lower. Some also feature energy saving modes, which use much less electricity than older pool pumps. While they may cost more upfront than conventional pumps, they’ll save you hundreds of dollars in electricity costs in the long run.
#8: Flick the switch
Stop and think about all the electrical appliances in your home that are plugged in but aren’t currently in use. Even in standby mode, TVs, washing machines, clothes dryers, kettles, computers, gaming consoles and phone chargers all consume electricity. Switch them off at the wall to stop this trickle of electricity from increasing your next power bill unnecessarily.
#9: Aim for the stars
When shopping around for new appliances, don’t just look for cool features and on-trend styling. Make sure you check the energy efficiency star-rating on each appliance and use this to guide your purchase decision. While a washing machine with a lower star-rating may have a cheaper price tag than one with a higher star-rating, it’s likely to cost you a lot more in electricity usage over the life of the appliance.
#10: Give your refrigerator some TLC
Your fridge can be one of the biggest drains on your power bill. It’s switched on 24/7, 365 days of the year. Make sure it’s not costing you more than absolutely necessary by giving it some love this summer. If the seals have started to perish, replace them. If the top and back of your fridge are dusty, give them a vacuum. If the freezer is all iced up, defrost it. For optimum energy efficiency, set the temperature on your fridge to around 3-5°C and your freezer to around -18°C.
#11: Clean filters of your appliances
We’ve already recommended you give your air con filters a clean this summer. The same goes for the filters on your dishwasher and washing machine. By keeping your appliances clean, they don’t have to work as hard and therefore they consume less energy. While you’re at it, consider switching your dishwasher and washing machine to run exclusively on cold water. Doing so will save on water heating costs. Running these appliances only when you have enough dirty dishes or dirty clothes for a full load will also save you money on your electricity bill.
#12: Heat your water for less
In the heat of summer there’s no need for your water heater to be producing scorching hot water. (Who needs a hot shower at this time of year anyway!?!) Consider installing a tempering valve which limits the water temperature to your fixtures to 50 degrees. As most people shower between 38-41 degrees, there is still plenty of hot water available for steamy hot showers.
#13: Enjoy the benefits of solar hot water
Save money on your power bills by installing a solar hot water system. Why pay for electricity to heat your water when a solar hot water system can do it for free? You can even set the timer and thermostat on your solar hot water system to heat your water at off peak times, when electricity prices are cheaper.