10 Tips For Reducing the Power Bill
Image via WikipediaWe recently received notification from our electricity supplier that charges are about to increase. No suprises there. The cost of living is really putting the squeeze on the average household. BUT, we are not powerless (hee, hee - excuse the pun). Now more than ever is a great time to work hard on reducing our usage so that we can reduce the overall impact on such increases.
1. Build Healthy Habits
One of the biggest wastages of power is the habit of not turning things off when not in use. Cultivate the habit of turning out lights when you leave a room and turning off appliance (if you can reach the power point) when not in use.
2. Make Use of What Nature Has to Offer
In winter you want to open up the curtains (window coverings) on a sunny day and make sure you close them again BEFORE the sun goes down to trap warmth inside and not allow the night chill to enter the house through the glass.
In summer, it’s more important to keep the sun OUT during the day and open up the house at night to take advantage of the cooler night air.
3. Consider Solar Hot Water
Here in Australia we get quite a LOT of sun. Solar Hot Water systems are getting cheaper and cheaper (and there are now models available that will connect to your current hot water system). Consider not just how long it will take to recoup your costs at the CURRENT level of electricity cost but also the fact that prices WILL rise over the decade or more the system lasts.
4. Dress Appropriately
I think many of us are spoilt when it comes to temperature control. I hear stories of countries where it is normal to walk around in shorts and t-shirt in winter and just bump up the heat to accommodate. It is honestly not that HARD to wear clothing appropriate to the weather. Around here, if you’re not already wearing a jumper AND socks/slippers, there is NO complaining about being cold. The same goes for summer. Wear light-weight clothes and if you have long hair, pull it up off your neck. It’s amazing what a difference that can make.
5. Snuggle Up
Give everyone in the family a snuggle blanket for watching tv during the cold winter mornings and evenings.
6. Consider Using a Slow Cooker for Cooking Roasts
Despite taking longer to cook, the slow cooker will still cost you considerably LESS to cook a roast than the oven will. And it will taste DELICIOUS. Since starting to use the slow cooker for roasts, I’ve not returned to using the oven again. If you’re a fan of brown crispy outsides you can brown the roast before putting it into the slow cooker or finish it off in the oven.
7. Keep Things In Good Working Order
Simple tasks like cleaning the filters on vacuum cleaners, heaters & air conditioners, tumble dryers and exhaust fans will enable them to work at peak efficiency. If things get clogged up, the appliance will have to work harder to achieve the same job and therefore you’re likely to use more power, more time and lessen the life of the appliance.
8. Line Dry Clothes
This is actually a reasonably common practise in Australia, although with our lifestyle getting busier and busier it is becoming a lost art in places. Clothes dryers use quite a lot of power so hanging clothes on a line (inside or in a shed, under a verandah etc) can save quite a LOT of electricity/power over time.
9. Use Man Power
Have you noticed how we seem to have electrified everything these days. From can openers to slicers, dicers, peelers, graters and on goes the list. Once upon a time all of this work was down by HAND. Most of us (me included) have energy to burn so why not use our own instead of plugging in to some force that comes through the power point in the wall?
10. Phone Your Power Company
Give them a call and ask them if there is anyway they can suggest to reduce your bill. One quick phone call from us and we managed to secure an ongoing 5% discount. You won’t get if you don’t ask.
Over To You
Can you add 1 tip for saving on electricity/power that hasn’t already been mentioned either here or in comments already? I know there are hundreds of ways to reduce our consumption of electricity/power which is not only great for our bank balances but also for the environment.
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When making a cuppa (another good way to get warm), only boil the water you need or put the rest in a vacuum flask for later.
Kez - sitting here warming my hands on a cuppa and with a blanket over my legs
One that is always mention and that is not on your list.
Replace all your old style light bulbs with low energy CFL (fluoro) light bulbs. If you have a low voltage system using MR16 halogen bulbs, these can be replaced with LED bulbs that use only about 10% of the energy of a halogen bulb.
If you use a computer and it’s due for replacement soon, consider using a Laptop instead of a desktop. Laptops use significantly less energy than a desktop.
Great tips!!
Thanks for sharing them.
Use garden solar lights indoors as “night lights”. Saves you turning on mains lights to walk to the loo in the middle of the night/get a drink from the kitchen, etc.
Apparently electric alarm clocks cost about $30 a year to run. I’ve put mine away and I use my mobile phone as a bedside clock instead. It also has the bonus of me knowing exactly where my phone is so I could call the cops if the boogie man climbed in through the window in the dead of night…
I’ve got nothing to add, but thanks for the tips!
Use the heat of your oven economically! If you want to bake a cake, put pizza or meatloaf on your menu for this day. Just imagine you had to heat your oven with wood (I had an old aunt who used to do this!), and you will think twice about heating it up to 200 ° C just for melting some cheese.
Our oven and stove are gas - everything else including heat in the house is electric. Gas is much cheaper for us, so I tend to do the reverse of what you do and use my oven frequently in winter.
I will cook most evening meals in the oven or do my baking in the evening. This effectively heats the kitchen and living room without me having to use our more expensive electric heater.
One more thing: Think about your laundry! Except of the undies of course, some of your clothes can actually be worn twice. And if you air your bedding daily, you don´t have to change the linens so often. Just imagine having to do your laundry by hand … This will not only save electricity, but water and detergent, too.
I was going to suggest what Hilde said, but she’s already said it………
Along with wearing clothes more than once I’d suggest not using the washing machine until you have a full load. I actually know one girl who used her machine on a daily basis for the clothes she wore that day. She knows better now that she’s paying her own bills, but it was a hard habit for her to break.
I’d also suggest if anyone is in a position to build their house, don’t go for one of those popular McMansions with no weather protection. Build something that has eaves and verandahs, smaller windows so heat doesn’t come in too much in summer and cold doesn’t come in too much in winter. I’m not suggesting the tiny windows of earlier centuries, but is there really a need for “window walls”?
I have a blanket that covers my recliner, it is a big queen size blanket but I have it set up so I can have it all tucked in around me. It is toasty warm. I just wish my remote would work through it so I didn’t have to take my arm out to change channels!
We also use door curtains so that the warmth stays in the room instead of venturing out into places we’re not.
Blinds and curtains on the windows can help keep the cold out/in depending on what season it is, too!
Loved this post, I always enjoy your frugal posts, though. And I love to hang clothes on the line. It’s a great way to force myself outside and the clothes smell so good when they’re done. Reminds me of my Grandmother who always line dried her clothes.
Vacuum the back of the fridge, get rid of the fluff.