The top priority for anyone looking to save money on the household budget is reviewing electricity costs. We all know that the price of energy has shot up in previous years, so now would be a good time to think about how you can save on your electricity bill and save money.
How do you go about doing this?
In this article, we’ll be going through some of the ways you can save money on your energy costs, with just a few small changes.
The first thing to do is check that your small electrical appliances are working efficiently. Nowadays, you can see how efficient household appliances are in store. Here is some specific advice for different appliances you find around your home.
• Washers and dryers. These eat up a huge amount of energy. You can reduce the energy they use by washing in cold water, line-dry clothes in the sun or cleaning your dryer’s lint filter.
• Fridges and Freezers. These have to be on constantly and if they are not energy efficient can end up costing you a lot in electricity. Set your fridge temperature to between 3-4°C and set your freezer to between -15° and -18°C. Defrosting your freezer will help keep it running efficiently. Make sure that the door seals are clean and tight. Loose seals will mean that you’re losing cold air through gaps.
• Media Devices. The amount of media devices in your home will have increased over the last decade. Though we don’t use them all the time, they are there and ever increasing as time goes on. Turn off mobile, tablet or laptop chargers at the wall when the device is fully charged. Many people think that this isn’t a big energy waster, but it could save you up to $100 a year. In fact, turn off anything that sits for hours on standby at the wall- like TVs, game consoles, PCs, printers, hi-fis or laptops.
• Air-Conditioning. If not cleaned correctly, your air conditioner can be a huge energy eater. To make your house nice and cool requires a lot of energy, especially in the hotter months. Your first thought may be to turn it off, but first have a check to see if you are running it efficiently. Having the right sized air-con for your home, and getting your home well insulated will help to reduce the cost. The main reason air conditioners ‘breakdown’ or use a large amount of energy is because they haven’t been cleaned properly. Getting a professional clean where the coil is cleaned along with the filter, can breath a new lease of life into your air conditioner.
Saving electricity doesn’t just mean turning off every electrical appliance and sitting in the dark like it’s the stone-age. It’s also about being clever with the way you use electricity.
Each home is different, so you will need to have a look through each room and make changes that are applicable for you. Here’s an example, if you live alone- do you need a huge fridge-freezer, or washer and dryer? Or vice-versa, if you are a big family, instead of having a small washer/dryer and have it constantly running , it could be more efficient and economical to have a bigger appliance. Being a little bit canny could save $$$ off your electric bill.
For more information on having your air conditioners cleaned, please contact a member of our team.
