It can be a balancing act trying to keep comfortable and stay in control of your energy costs—especially now that many of us face spending the cooler months working from home. A simple energy checkup will help you reduce your energy use and save on your energy bills.
ActewAGL Group Manager of Product and Strategic Energy Deployments, Todd Eagles, spoke with Renee and Cam on Mix 106.3 about what to look for when doing an energy efficiency checkup in and around your home.
“It’s an opportunity to review and take stock of your energy situation around the house. By doing that, you can make improvements to optimise the energy you’re using to be comfortable,” he said.
Energy efficiency is all about using less energy to power your home, without sacrificing on comfort. According to Mr Eagles, heating and cooling accounts for approximately 60% of a household energy bill.
You can see great savings by checking your heating system appliance manual for maintenance and cleaning tips and doing some basic upkeep yourself. For example, pulling out the filters (of ducted heating systems) and giving them a hose down to improve the air flow and reduce the amount of dust released into the air. Also checking to make sure the duct work is attached to the floor or roof vents is important to ensure you are enjoying the heated air flowing in your home, not into the sub-floor or roof cavity.
Mr Eagles suggested another simple way to reduce energy consumption around the house is to take advantage of natural light. Open blinds and curtains and let the sunlight power your day, while keeping the light switches off.
But that’s not it. “There’s something everyone can do to use their energy more efficiently. Whether you have young children in the house or are retired, there are plenty of opportunities to save energy—and money,” says Mr Eagles.
Maximise your energy efficiency by checking:
- The automatic temperature and timer settings on your heating system. Set the temp between 18–20°C, as every degree higher can add 10% to your bill. Reduce your timer by one hour a day to save 90 hours in heating costs over the winter months.
- Your hot water system. Check your hot water system is set on 60°C to save about 10% on your bills. If your system is older than 10 years, it may not be running as efficiently as it could be and it may be time to upgrade.
- Your house insulation. Ceiling batts should be about 20cm thick. High-quality and well-fitted insulation could effectively reduce your heating and cooling energy costs by up to 50%*.
- The space around your fridge. If the rear ventilation is restricted, it could add 15% to the appliance’s operating costs^.
- Style of light bulbs. Do a sweep of the house and replace any halogen globes with LED bulbs—don’t forget outside lights too. Quality LED bulbs last 5–10 times longer than halogen ones and you can save up to 88% off your lighting costs.
If you’re looking for more advice to waste less and save more, check out our other energy-saving tips or download the Your Power to Save booklet.
We’re in this together. During times of uncertainty and beyond, we’re committed to supporting our people, customers and the community. If you’re finding it difficult to pay your energy bill, see the support measures we offer, or speak to a local Energy Consultant on 13 14 93.
References:
* yourhome.gov.au
^ yourhome.gov.au