ENERGY BILL

Tweak your routines to save on your energy bills.

They may be small, but when executed, these energy reduction tips can help you save hundreds. From taking shorter showers to using appliances more efficiently, these simple lifestyle tweaks are easy to action, and will lower your carbon footprint and annual energy bill.

1. Take shorter showers
   
   Try cutting your shower time from eight to four minutes to save over $100 a year. Have everything ready before you hop in, then set a timer. You can even pause the water while you’re shampooing or conditioning!
   
   

2. Carpool with a colleague
   
   You can shave dollars off your car running costs by taking turns to carpool with a colleague to work. Of course, if you are an EV owner, you can save further by reducing the power you need to charge your EV.
   
   

3. Fill your fridge and freezer with bottles of water when you’re loading it
   
   When you’re filling your fridge and freezer with your weekly food shop, remember to squeeze in a few bottles of water as well. This increases the thermal mass of the appliance, so it doesn't have to work as hard to maintain its temperature, thus lowering your energy consumption.
   
   

4. Clean your cooktop more often
   
   Electric cooktops covered with burnt-on food or grease will absorb heat, making them less efficient. However, cleaning it more often and ensuring it’s always 100% grime-free will only heat your pots and pans instead of the dirt!
   
   

5. Remove unused trays when you cook
   
   It’s easy to leave trays in the oven when cooking to save space, but this actually blocks the airflow, leading to uneven cooking and making your oven work harder. Instead, make a habit of taking out all unused trays from your oven before cooking so it uses less energy.
   
   

6. Don’t forget to dust your fridge and freezer coils
   
   Did you know dusty fridge coils can increase energy use by up to 25%? Although you won’t need to add them to your regular weekly clean list, dusting or gently vacuuming your fridge and freezer coils two to four times a year will save you money. The coils are located either at the back of the fridge, on top of the fridge or, for newer models, it may be under the fridge behind the base grille. Before you start, you should always unplug the fridge at the wall.
   
   

7. Do rounds of washing or drying at night
   
   Energy prices tend to be lower between 10pm – 7am, so if you can, do large energy-use tasks like washing/drying later at night on a cooler cycle.
   
   

8. Turn off running taps
   
   It can be a simple habit to leave warm water running while washing the dishes or in the shower. Consider filling the sink to wash dishes and turning off the shower water while shampooing or conditioning to save energy and water heating costs.
   
   

9. Clean your windows more often
   
   Dirty windows –inside or out – can block out up to an amazing 10% of natural light. This is important for both heating and illuminating your home. So, consider cleaning them inside every month and outside twice a year.
   
   

10. Don’t overfill your kettle
    
    Only fill the kettle according to how much boiling water you need. Boiling unnecessary water will take longer and use additional energy. You can also monitor the boiling point and manually turn the kettle off to further save on energy usage.

Summary

Make these small lifestyle tweaks to lower your energy bills by hundreds a year -

• Take shorter showers

• Carpool with a colleague

• Fill your fridge and freezer with bottles of water when you’re loading it

• Clean your cooktop more often

• Remove unused oven trays when you cook

• Don’t forget to dust your fridge and freezer coils

• Turn off running taps while shampooing or conditioning

• Clean your windows more often

• Don’t overfill your kettle

ActewAGL's energy saving tips are designed to help you take control of your energy use, while reducing your bills and environmental impact. Save with great value energy plans backed by our sustainability promise, supported by 100% local, award-winning service.

For more information about how you can transition to an energy-efficient home visit the SolarHub & ActewAGL Smart Energy Hub today.

Disclaimer: These Energy Savings tips and articles are for information purposes only. Please ensure you are aware of any safety precautions before operating appliances or products.