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People worldwide are feeling the impact of rising electricity prices, and Aussies are no exception. Naturally, we’re all looking for ways to save money on our monthly bills.
We have 11 great tips to help you save lots of cash on your electricity bills so you can put more money back into your monthly household budget. These tips range from using more efficient appliances to adjusting your thermostat and installing solar panels.
Let’s learn about these and other great tips and start saving money today.
1. Examine Your Electrical Bill
It’s important to understand how much power your home uses so you can save money. Check your bill, look at your kWh of usage, and compare it to last year and between different seasons so you can start looking at ways to lower your usage. If you have a smart meter, it can tell you your usage in near real-time, which can make this even easier.
2. Compare Electricity Providers and Tariffs
If you’ve been using the same energy provider for years, chances are you can probably find a better deal. Shop around and compare the different providers in your area, looking at their daily access fees as well as their usage fees. Also, check if they have time-of-use tariffs or other ways to save more money.
3. Switch Off and Unplug Unused Appliances
Appliances, chargers, and electronic devices draw power, called standby or phantom power, even when not in use. Turning off appliances works for some things, but if you don’t use something often, it’s best to unplug it until needed.
4. Install Energy Efficient Lighting
Using LED lighting is an easy way to save electricity. Old incandescent light bulbs use 5-10 times the power that an LED will. LEDs are also more efficient than compact fluorescent bulbs and should be used to replace those. The added bonus is that LED lights last for many years before they need replacing, saving even more money.
5. Use Natural Lighting
Use more natural lighting during the day by not obstructing your windows with furniture, opening the curtains, and using mirrors to reflect and bounce the light around the room. Part of this is learning when to open and close your curtains and blinds. In the winter, open them when the sun is shining on the windows to let the heat and light in, but then close them later to keep the cold out. In summer, open your curtains in the morning and close them again during the day’s heat, but then open them again later when the sun moves on.
6. Adjust the Thermostat
People often run their air conditioners and heaters much lower or higher than necessary. When dressed appropriately for the season, you should set the temperature to be comfortable. If you must wear a sweater indoors in summer, your AC is too low. If you need to take layers off in the winter, your heater is too high.
Ideally, set your AC to 24°C or higher because each degree lower uses about 5% more energy. In the winter, set it to 20°C or lower since each degree higher uses about 10% more power.
7. Insulate Your Home, Doors and Windows
Check your door seals and replace them if they are old or damaged. Then, check your windows and use a waterproof sealant (caulking) around the edges to help seal in the heat or cold air better.
You can also install plastic film over drafty old windows until you can replace them with more modern, energy-efficient windows. In the summer, consider installing UV film on them to reduce the heat that gets in. In any season, thick curtains can also help keep the heat out or in.
No matter what your climate is, if you are renovating or building your home, use good insulation in your walls, floors, and roof. This will save a huge amount on both heating and cooling costs compared to older homes with poor insulation.
8. Install Solar Panels
The best way to save the most money on your electricity bill is by installing EcoFlow Solar Panels on your home. An EcoFlow DELTA Series solar generator can also significantly reduce your monthly bill. Thanks to their optional expandable capacity, if you buy a large enough system, even the most power-hungry large homes can gain energy independence and go off the grid, eliminating those pesky bills altogether.
The best part is that right now, there are so many solar tax incentives available in Australia that can help you save thousands on the cost of installation. For instance, the Australian Solar Rebate, technically called the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES), is a generous rebate available to most Aussies no matter where you live.
The EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max + 220W Solar Panel or EcoFlow DELTA Pro Solar Generator + 400W Solar Panel are fantastic options for generating free renewable energy in your home. After the solar payback period, when the savings on your monthly bills pay for the installation cost, your electricity could be free for 20 years.
9. Use Energy Efficient Appliances
If you have old dryers, refrigerators, or air conditioners, they’re probably not very energy-efficient. Look at how many watts your appliances use and compare them to modern appliances. When purchasing new appliances, consider their energy efficiency and water ratings. Also, many newer models have additional energy-saving settings to help reduce your power usage even more. These factors can all save you a lot of money.
10. Take Shorter Showers
Showers comprise about 30% of your household water usage, so taking shorter showers is a great way to reduce energy use and save money. A four-minute shower will save you five times the electricity compared to a 20-minute shower, which adds up over time. A good tip is to play a song while you are showering; when the song ends, so should your shower.
11. Wash Full Loads and Wash in Cold Water
Washing clothes in cold water can save significant cash. And since it takes nearly the same amount of power to run a half load as a full load, always run a full load. Also, while using cold water in your dishwasher isn’t ideal, only running full loads will help.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are many ways to reduce your electrical bill, from better insulating your home, doors, and windows, adjusting your thermostat, and installing solar panels to examining your energy bills and shopping around for cheaper energy providers or better tariffs.
Seven great ways to reduce your energy consumption include unplugging unused appliances, using natural lighting, adjusting your thermostat, taking shorter showers, using energy-efficient appliances and settings, washing full dishwasher and washing machine loads, and installing solar panels.
Final Thoughts
With rising electricity prices and the looming threat of climate change, we are all looking for ways to reduce our energy consumption. Using more efficient appliances, unplugging them when not in use, taking shorter showers, and better insulating your home are all great tips to save money.
However, if you really want to save money on your bill or eliminate it altogether, invest in one of EcoFlow’s Solar Generators. After the solar payback period, you can enjoy clean, renewable energy that is free for at least twenty years!