Do you dread seeing the envelope in your mailbox with the power company logo, or the email that pops into your inbox with your bill? Your instant thought is – how high is it going to be this month! What if we told you there were 10 easy ways to lower the cost of your power bill. Read on if you are interested…
1: Ditch Standby Lights
Standby lights actually use a considerable amount of power. So instead of leaving those little red lights flashing, turn the appliance off completely. Likewise, ditch the computer screen savers. The screen is the part of the computer that uses the most power. If you aren’t using the machine, put it in hibernate, or turn it off completely.
2: Embrace Timers
Over a third of your power costs go into heating your home. Leaving the heating on to maintain the temperature when you aren’t home is like pouring money down the drain. Instead of leaving the heater on all day so that it is warm when you get home, embrace timers and thermostats.
The timer will switch the heating on at a certain time of the day and the thermostat will bring it to your desired temperature and maintain it. Cost effective heating at its best.
3: Up Your Cooling Temperature
Fridges and freezers have in-built temperature settings. They allow your fridge to get to the brink of freezing, and your freezer to go sub-zero. Having your appliances at the coldest settings is unnecessary and costing you a bomb. Set both your fridge and freezer at temperatures that allow them function as they should, without the power wastage!
4: Turn Off The Lights
Like anything, your lights use power when they are turned on. Each one only uses a little bit of power, but if you combine all the little bits, it can result in a lot. So when you leave a room, turn off the light to conserve power.
5: Insulate
Having adequate insulation in your home will reduce your need for as much heating. Ensure your walls, floor and roof are well insulated to prevent unnecessary heat from escaping. You may also want to consider double glazing your windows as this protects a massive amount of heat in your home.
6: Go Natural
Use fresh air and sunshine to dry your clothes instead of a clothes dryer. Dryers take a huge amount of power to run, so only use them if you need something dried urgently. Otherwise, find the time to hang your clothes out on the washing line instead.
7: Get Energy Efficient
Standard light bulbs are ridiculously inefficient with their power usage. Switch to energy efficient versions, or LEDs for longer lasting, cheaper lighting.
8: Avoid Peak Teams
Power companies charge a premium rate for the most popular time of day, typically between 5 and 7pm. That is because they know it is the time people get home from work, turn on their heaters, cook their dinner and bathe their kids. Try to avoid these peak power times and do your washing or vacuuming outside of these hours.
9: Redo Your Roof
Most roofs are made from dark materials designed to absorb the heat and distribute it through the house. During the winter time you can barely feel the difference, but in summer it can make your house scorching. You then turn on your air-conditioning to negate the heat. Instead, try changing your roof tiles to a lighter colour, or simply repaint it.
10: Look At Your Electricity Provider
When was the last time you reviewed your power rates? If it hasn’t been for a while, then you might want to do some research on what else is out there. Could you get a better rate, a prompt payment discount, or a rebate with another company?