Easy Steps to Save Electricity and Reduce Bills
While winter is slowly starting, cold is settling into your home, letting the warmth from the sun gently disappear as the days become shorter. Winter has its upsides, but you must prepare your home to make the electricity bill manageable. Cozy evenings under your thick blanket, drinking hot tea and eating heavy food can be lovely, but not if they come with worry about your expenses and electricity that will increase. For you to spend a tranquil cold season without concern, you will find tips to keep your energy bill lower during Winter.
Australian homes primarily consume energy by heating and cooling ( 40%), appliances (33%), water heating (21%) and lighting (6%). These are general and important numbers to understand so you can target the changes needed to decrease your electricity consumption.
Heat the Livable rooms.
Regarding the size of your home, you may have rooms you only spend a little time in. Think about the laundry room, garage, storage room, guest room, and bathroom. Those rooms don’t need to heat like the rest of the house. You will need heat in your living room and kitchen because you will spend a lot of your time there when the cold becomes hard to handle. Keep your doors closed and choose wisely where the heat is needed.
Optimise the Efficiency of Your Heat Pump.
Your heat pump needs to be set between 18 to 20 degrees Celsius. Anticipate your heating needs so you don’t have to heat up quickly. Turning your heating up high to warm up faster is a mistake as you’ll use a large amount of energy without actually heating the room more efficiently. The best option is to use the timer function to preheat your room 15 minutes before you come home and turn it off when you leave. You will save electricity, get a well-warmed house and optimise the lifespan of your pump.
Insulation is Key.
Heat retention is necessary to keep your house comfortable while not emptying your wallet. During the day, the winter sun is warming up your rooms through the windows, but 40 % of the heat escapes as the sun comes down. That is where you can take action! Close curtains and shutters, shut your windows and doors and use door stoppers. Small actions will give you great results!
Change your Lifestyle
You need to think of a minimalist lifestyle! Take a shorter shower, especially if you have a big family. Install a water-saving showerhead, which is a great tool to gain on your electricity consumption.
Change your light bulbs to LED, which uses 75% less energy and lives 5 to 10 years longer.
Wash your clothes in cold water by changing the heating program every time you do laundry, and make the most of free air-drying laundry. Put your laundry on a hanger close to a window so the sun can dry it during the day or in the garden.
Maxbreeze Solar Roof Fan
These fans are modern and solar-powered. Their system makes them start when the roof cavity temperature is 37 degrees Celsius and not before. Mechanical whirly-bird roof fans do not have these options and will always function, resulting in heat loss. Indeed, you have to think that cold air goes down and warmth up; if your fan starts to release the warmth, this is an issue to keep your house warm. The Maxbreeze solar roof fan is made to function only when needed; it is a great investment for both winter and summer!
Use Your Solar Energy.
If you are lucky enough to have a solar panel installation, it will be your best ally to reduce your electricity bill during winter. As solar panels generate energy throughout the day, use your energy-intensive consumption appliances, such as a dishwasher, washing machine and dryer. Please take advantage of the daylight to charge your electronic devices and unplug them when they are not in use and throughout the night.
Summary
Those tips will enhance your electricity consumption, reducing your budget and bills during winter. It is a bunch of habits that are easy to take and put into a routine. Enjoy your winter and feel relaxed about your electricity bills!