Energy saving tips

With Perth’s electricity prices on the rise, it is now more important than ever to introduce energy saving measures into your home. These measures will not only save you money on energy bills but also means that you’re doing your part to take care of the planet.

Heating & cooling

Did you know that heating and cooling appliances contributes to, on average, 40% of your energy bill? Here are some energy saving tips to ease financial strain when your energy bill rolls around.

Install energy efficient double glazed windows and doors. During winter, double glazed windows and doors prevent heat loss and reduce heating requirements by up to 80%. This significantly reduces the need for electricity-guzzling heaters in your home. In summer, you can drastically cut back on your air conditioner use also. Double glazed products work all year round which means that your house will stay cool during summer and warm during winter, without spiking your energy use.

Fans are a great alternative to reverse cycle air-con as they use significantly less energy to cool a room. If you have double glazing windows in your home the fan will cool a room even more efficiently.

If you do want to use a heater during winter, it is important to get it serviced regularly otherwise it will not heat your home effectively and you will see an increase in your energy bills.

Make your home draught-proof. It is important that your windows are sealed well to reduce draughts from coming in. uPVC double glazed windows offer superior insulation as they contain double rubber seals around the perimeter of the windows. They seal very tightly which means there is no air or water leakage. If you aren’t able to change your windows to energy efficient double glazing windows, for example, you can buy window seals and draught excluders to reduce but not eliminate draughts in your home. These are still energy saving but not to the extent of double glazed windows.

Other energy saving tips for around the house include:

Appliances

Set your fridge to 4 or 5°C and your freezer to -15°C. Every degree lower uses 5% more energy. You can also purchase an energy saving fridge; one with a hydrocarbon refrigerant as it is one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly refrigerants on the market.

Switch off all of your appliances when they are not in use. Simply turning appliances to standby mode is not enough. Standby mode means that you’re paying for electricity that you’re not even using. An average household can waster over $100 a year by having appliances on standby mode.

Although they usually cost more upfront to buy, front-loader washing machines can save you money over time as they use less power, water and detergent than top loaders- making them more energy efficient.

Opt for the microwave when you can as it uses a lot less energy than the oven. Remember to switch it off at the wall when you’re not using it otherwise it just becomes an expensive clock!

When your phone has finished charging, turn it off at the wall.

Hot water

Believe it or not, hot water is a large contributor to increasing your energy bills, making up about 17% of your household’s total energy usage.

The optimal temperature to set your hot water system to is 60°C as this is an easy energy saving tip that can save you money.

Turn your hot water system off completely when you go on holiday or are away for an extended period of time.

This tip seems self-explanatory, but many people still run their dishwasher when it is half-full. This not only wastes water but is costly for your energy bills. For the best energy saving option, always run your dishwasher with a full load.

Lighting

By switching to energy saving lightbulbs you could save around $200 a year.

Make sure that you are only lighting the rooms that you are occupying and turn the lights off if you are the last one to leave the room.

For outdoor lights, a good energy saving tip is to have solar motion sensor lights. You won’t have to worry about leaving the lights on all night long and they are relatively easy to install.