Saving energy is now a top priority for every household. Not just to benefit the environment, but to reduce household costs. At the same time, we don’t want to compromise on our standard of living.
We’ve teamed up with EnergyAustralia to find out how to manage the fine line. The first step is to find an energy provider to fulfil your new age needs.
As a priority, I look for:
- A commitment to green energy now and for the future
- A great variety of green energy packages and incentives; and
- Great customer service
EnergyAustralia services the energy needs of over 2.6 million customer accounts across Australia. I love their online energy saving tips to help manage, reduce and track my energy use plus they offer great customer support.
Take Control of Your Energy Use
With the EnergyAustralia’s Energy Tracker you can calculate your appliance running costs and identify how the energy in your home is being used. This will highlight areas where you can improve your electricity usage and help you track your progress over time. If you get stuck along the way, they’re always happy to help!
If you do have a sudden usage spike, the checklist may give you some insight into the increase and help you manage your usage for your next billing cycle. Simple reasons for an increase can include:
Weather
In winter, we naturally increase our heating use. Likewise, in the hotter months, operating an air conditioner will also increase energy use.
Maintenance
Make sure you regularly maintain appliances and systems to ensure they are working efficiently and don’t use more energy than they normally would.
Household size
If the number of people living in your home has increased, so too would the amount of energy used. This could be the result of short-term guests or even a new addition to the family.
New appliances or systems
Made any new purchases lately? They could affect your energy use. The energy rating website can identify how much energy a new appliance may use before you make the decision to purchase.
Renovations or extensions to your home
You could have added energy use during the renovation period. Once the renovation is over, you may experience higher daily energy usage as a result of having larger spaces to heat or cool, and more lights to power.
Am I Different?
If you’re not sure how much energy use is normal for a household of your size, you can compare your usage on the Energy Made Easy website to see how you stack up and make adjustments accordingly.
Save energy in your home
Your next step is to take action at home to reduce energy use, create a healthy environment and still maintain your comfort during the cold winter months. Here are some tips to get you started:
- Good insulation to the roof, walls and under floors seals a home against air leakage and dramatically reduces the need for heating
- Use solar, gas hot water systems or an electric heat pump hot water system for less energy use
- Select high-efficiency air conditioning systems to save money
- Install energy-efficient light fittings
- Dry clothes outdoors as much as possible
- Install pool and heat pump timers
- Install solar outdoor lighting
- Switch appliances off at the wall-don’t leave them on standby
- Keep curtains and outside window shades closed to reduce the amount of energy you need for a comfortable internal environment
- Add another blanket to your bed or use a wheat bag or hot water bottle before you put on the heater.
You can find more great energy saving tips and energy plans on the EnergyAustralia website. If you have any energy saving tips you’d like to share, let us know.
This is a sponsored post by EnergyAustralia. All opinions expressed by the author are authentic and written in their own words.
