Money

Here are 9 Ways to Save Money on Electricity

1. Shop around for a better electricity provider

Depending on your location you may have access to more than one electricity provider which is great news.

The way electricity is calculated isn’t simple, and the price is built up of multiple components, so the best way to determine if you can save money buy switching electricity providers is to call each company while you are holding your current bill. You’ll be able to ask what the cost of each element is which will indicate to you whether you can be cheaper electricity from moving suppliers.

The reality is that you are potentially paying out hundreds of dollars more than you should by not calling other providers for a comparison.

Schedule a time into your diary and give it a shot – you’ll be amazed how much you can save per year from just this one change!

2. Unplug Everything

You may not be aware, I wasn’t, that appliances and electronics are continually using electricity from the socket while they are plugged in, even if they’re turned off!

We don’t watch a lot of TV but it wasn’t until we bought a new more energy efficient tv that while reading a book one night, I heard the sound of the TV that was off, turn itself on and then off again. A little alarmed that our TV could do that, I got my husband to plug in his laptop to the TV via the HDMI cable – if the TV was really drawing electricity from the socket while switch off, he’d see the activity on his computer.
We didn’t have to wait long before he saw activity on his computer and we heard the TV make the click sound of it turning itself on and off again. Creepy!

After this, we started unplugging our appliances which is when I noticed that our electricity bill had decreased. Obviously, there are some items you can’t unplug like your fridge but what you can do is get an electricity usage monitor to see whether your fridge to consuming too much electricity.

3. Use Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs

If you live in Australia you will already be using energy efficient light bulbs because in 2009 Australia started phasing out incandescent light bulbs. The move to phase out incandescent light bulbs is estimated to be saving households $70 per annum.

If you live in the UK or America moving to using compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and/or LEDs will save you money too.

4. Replace Your Windows

A little known secret is that not all homes have the most energy efficient windows. Having window that have gaps (sliding windows can be terrible for this!) and allow wind into your home, or are thin and transfer the heat or cold into your home will push your energy bill to be higher than it could be.

Having new windows installed that are energy efficient will save you money but make sure you do the numbers, because windows themselves aren’t cheap, so it may be a few years before they pay for themselves.

5. Energy Efficient Window Furnishings

Your window furnishing are how you manage the sunshine entering your home, maintaining privacy, giving your home your desired design feel and how you help to regulate your homes temperature without using air-conditioning or heating.

What do I mean?

The blinds in the curtain above are what we used to have in our apartment, they weren’t too expensive and did the job of providing privacy and blocking out the light. While we saved money by purchasing this inexpensive modern style it wasn’t long before we realized that they weren’t helping us save money on our electricity bill.

One test to help you decide whether you should upgrade your curtains to more energy efficient window furnishing is to try this; on a cold night put your hand over any gaps between your window frame and your curtain or blind. Do you feel cold air slowly seeping into the room? If you do, looking at upgrading your curtains to ones that will insulate better and stop those drafts from entering your home will potentially make a big difference.

6. Lower the Temperature on Your Water Heater

Reducing the heat on your water heater will save you electricity, and it will ensure the water never gets hot enough to scald you or a child too.

Washing your clothes in cold water will also help you save money on your electricity bill and will keep your clothes looking newer for longer.

7. Keep Your Fridge Stocked and Reduce Your Energy Bill

This may sound counter intuitive but its true. Fridges are designed and engineered to be energy efficient when they are full of food.

If your Dad was anything like mine growing up, you were probably yelled at as a teenager with the phrase “don’t open the fridge”, or “stop standing there with the fridge open you’re letting all the cold air out”.
At this point, I need to swallow my pride and let you know that Dad was right.

When you open the fridge to peek inside for something to eat, warm air is let in. If the fridge is full then there is food or drinks inside it which have held the cold and help the fridge to not need to work as hard to regulate the temperature back to its optimum temperature. However, if the fridge is empty then after you have let all the warm air in the fridge has to work harder to cool all that air, using more electricity.

Yes, this is me giving you permission to buy more food so you can save money on electricity – just don’t overspend on chocolate because that doesn’t take up much room in a fridge!

8. Using Your Clothes Dryer

During winter our little family came up with an obscure way to save money on electricity by using the dryer late at night when the temperature starts to drop right before we’d go to bed.

It seems silly but when you leave your laundry door open, the warm air will help to warm your home for a little longer, work almost like a humidifier and help you to save money on electricity.

During summer hang your clothes outside and avoid using the dryer all together!

9. Check Your Insulation

Check my what? Check your homes insulation. If you have an older home then your insulation may need replacing, or you may simply not have any!

Having your insulation upgraded to a newer insulation will mean that less warm or cool air is being lost through the walls and roof of your home.