7 Ways to Save on Your Power Bill
Sometimes the rise of our power bill is inevitable, especially during the chilly winter months. There are many simple ways we can keep costs to a minimum by using these 7 effective tips.
1. Seal Air Leaks
Is your home a bit drafty? Source out the culprit of air leaks in your home and seal them. You will probably find air leaks around your door and window frames, outlets and switches or plumbing and utility access. The fewer leaks you have the more you will save on heating.
2. Natural Heat
A simple and cost effective way to keep your power bill down is using natural heat from the sun. Make sure you keep your curtains open during the days and shut them when the sun sets to optimise the rays!
3. Fill Dishwasher
Your dishwasher should only be turned on if it’s full, i.e. you cannot fit any more dishes in! Remember, you are paying for each and every wash cycle so limit them as often as you can. A habit which many of us are guilty of is poor stacking. Make more of an effort to strategically stack your dishes; you will be surprised how many extra dishes you can fit.
4. Light Bulbs
Have you ever considered how much power your light bulbs are consuming? About 15% of your total power bill! If you haven’t already, switch to more energy efficient lighting. Choose bulbs based on their energy ratings or go to consumer.org.nz to compare bulb energy consumption. Consumer.org.nz is a great website with research on a wide range of products, helping savvy consumers make smart, money saving decisions.
5. Wash on Cold
Considering a cold water wash uses 90% less electricity than a hot wash, you may want to savour your hot washes for especially dirty laundry! Modern washing machines can still wash well with cold water and washing powder.
6. Turn off Electronics
If you think turning off your electronics doesn’t use power, think again, some of your appliances do not turn off at all, they merely go on standby. Known as vampire energy, it is accumulated by your appliances when they not turned off at the power source, this includes; your TV, speakers and even your cell phone or laptop chargers. Vampire energy from 1 appliance is cheap but many appliances consuming vampire energy at once can be quite costly!
7. Shop Around
Do your research; switching power companies could save you a lot. There are many helpful online tools to identify the best energy provider for you. For example; visit switchme.co.nz and compare your current bill with other power companies in NZ. The company Powershop is a kiwi favourite. Powershop is currently voted as having the most satisfied customers and has been voted so for the past 5 years in a row!