Electricity is an essential part of our everyday lives. No longer is it just used to power your lights and heating or cooking. Now it is necessary to charge smart phones, laptops and tablets. Without electricity you would lose the social connectivity that has become an integral part of society!
Unfortunately electricity costs money; the average Australian household pays $381 per quarter in electrical usage. It doesn’t matter what your bill is, there are steps you can take to reduce it.
Inspect Your System
The first step must be to use the services of a firm like Tiger Electrical. They will assess your current system for safety and can identify and potential issues. This can include electricity being discharged or used without you really being aware of it.
Even a small item running consistently will increase your electricity bill.
Change Your Lights
Lights can draw a large amount of power. For example a standard down lighter bulb can be 50 watts. If you change these to energy efficient LED bulbs the same 50 watts of light will only require approximately 10 watts of power! Multiply that by the number of down lights in your home and you can appreciate the saving.
In fact every type of bulb has an energy efficient alternative. Use them to save yourself money. It is also worth remembering to turn lights off when they are not needed.
Insulate
Insulating your house effective will reduce the heat loss in the winter and help to keep it cool in the summer. This means you can use your heating or air conditioning less; potentially saving you a considerable sum of money. Heating and air conditioning remains the highest draw for most houses.
Insulation can be added to your loft but you should also make sure there are no gaps round your windows and doors. If there are; seal them immediately.
Unplug
If you leave your television on standby when it’s not in use then you’re wasting electricity. The same is true if you leave a phone or laptop charge plugged in when the appliance is charged or not plugged into it.
These items will only draw small amounts of power. But, the accumulation of all these items results in a significant load on your electricity bill.
Wash Less
You need to keep your clothes clean. However, if you study your washing usage you’ll probably find that you can do fewer loads per week. This will reduce electricity and water costs.
In addition if you air dry instead of tumble drying you’ll see more reductions in your electricity bill.
Consider Solar
This may not reduce your electricity usage but it can reduce your bill. You can invest in just one panel for a specific item or cover your roof in solar panels.
If you join these to the grid (via an approved contractor); then you’ll sell excess electricity back to them and may even get a zero bill. Of course this will depend on how much you use after the sun has set.