8 WAYS TO SAVE ELECTRICITY AT HOME

Energy bills can often add unwanted strain on your household budget. With prices continuing to rise, it’s important to ensure that your household is running as efficiently as possible. We’ve put together a few tips to help reduce your energy bills, and decrease your impact on the environment.

1. Check Your Lighting Options

What are LED lights?

LED lights, short for ‘light-emitting diodes’ are energy-efficient light sources that use light-emitting diodes to produce light, offering longer lifespans when compared to older styles of incandescent and halogen light bulbs. LED lighting are available in a wide range of colours and brightness levels. Certain LED light bulbs are also smart enabled, offering remote and app control.

Did you know?

LED lighting uses approximately 75% less energy than halogen light bulbs and they can last anywhere from 5 up to 10 times longer (energy.gov.au), helping you save electricity and replacement costs.

2. Consider Light Switches & Dimmers

A dimmer switch is a great way to reduce your lighting costs, plus it has the added benefit of creating ambient mood lighting. Not only that, in the long run using dimmer lighting can prolong the life of your bulbs.

Also consider smart switches/adapters and smart lighting in your home to enjoy intelligent control from an app on your smart device. With smart lighting, you can enjoy a range of benefits such as:

• Scheduling power on/off times and apply timers
• Remotely turning on/off light(s) and appliances
• Observe energy usage

3. Observe Energy and Water Ratings

The energy and water rating labels on appliances indicate how much energy and water the product uses compared to others on the market. The higher the rating means the more energy or water efficient the product is. Selecting energy efficient appliances can not only reduce harm to the environment, you may find it will significantly reduce your energy bills, and who doesn’t love that!

4. Replace or Update Appliances

Always be conscious of the energy efficiency of the appliances you buy. Energy efficiency star ratings make it easy to determine which appliances are more efficient and environmentally friendly. The higher the star rating, the more energy efficient the appliance.

5. Make use of Mother Nature

Try to use mother nature to your advantage as much as possible. Avoid using your dryer whenever you can and let the sun dry your laundry for you. In the warmer months, you can cut down air conditioning costs by closing curtains and blinds to prevent sunlight from warming your home. Conversely, in winter try to allow as much sunlight in as possible.

6. Adopt Environmentally Friendly Habits

Overall it’s important to get into an environmentally conscious mindset and lifestyle. Your energy bill is tightly linked with your effect on the environment. Try to get into the habit of being aware of how much energy your actions and household use. Don’t forget that energy costs are greater during peak usage times, so if possible try to use your major appliances during off-peak times.

HOT TIP: Always try and switch lights off when you leave a room. It’s a great habit to get into, and your hip pocket will also be thankful!

7. Be Aware of Phantom Loads

Many devices (TVs, gaming consoles, Blu-ray players, hair dryers etc) turned off or on standby still use electricity. These devices and are what cause ‘phantom loads’ – using energy when they’re not in use. To avoid energy wasted with phantom loads, switch off or unplug your appliances at the power outlet. You can also invest in smart power strips which helps automate the shutting of power to devices when they are not being used or in standby.

Going away? Why not consider powering off any electronic devices and appliances that will otherwise sit in standby mode.

8. Reduce Hot Water Use

Heating up water for washing up or showering/bathing can use huge amounts of electricity, be mindful of your hot water use. Set your hot water system to a lower temperature and try a cold-water wash of your laundry; results between warm and cold water washing are minimal.

FAQs

1. How do I reduce electricity consumption?

There are many ways to save electricity and reduce your power bills. It can be as simple as replacing older halogen light bulbs to LED lights, investing in smart lights or dimmers to reduce power use and switching off lights and devices when not in use. Other ways to save on electricity is by adopting eco-friendly habits such as sun-drying clothes, reducing hot water use by washing with cold water and investing in appliances with high energy and water ratings.

2. What are LED light bulbs?

LED light bulbs, short for ‘light-emitting diodes’ are energy-efficient light sources that use light-emitting diodes to produce light, offering longer lifespans when compared to older styles, such as incandescent and halogen light bulbs. LED lights are also available in a wide range of colours and brightness levels. Certain LED light bulbs are also smart enabled, offering remote app control.

3. Do smart light switches save electricity?

Smart light switches can help save electricity as they typically offer smart remote control, with the ability to monitor energy use. With the use of smart light switches, you can schedule on/off times, apply timers and remotely power on/off to reduce energy use when you’re away from home.

4. What is the star rating for energy efficiency?

The energy rating labels for energy efficiency range from 1 to 10 stars. The higher the number of stars, the greater the efficiency of the appliance, meaning it will use less energy and help save on your power bills. Home appliances like fridges, dishwashers and washing machines feature energy ratings up to 5, whereas heat pump dryers are incredibly efficient, with energy ratings from 5 to 10 stars.

5. What is the water rating label?

The water rating label (also known as WELS) shows an appliance’s water efficiency rating, as well as the rate of water consumption (flow rate/ litres per flush/ litres per wash) to give an indication of how much water the appliance uses. Water rating labels range from 1 to 6 stars. Like the energy rating labels, the higher the number the star rating, the greater the efficiency of use.