20 ways to save on utilities
Utility bills can easily consume a large portion of your savings and monthly pay cheques. Australian’s on average spend over 30% of their pay on living expenses such as utility bills, so why not learn to reduce your utility bills and save money on electricity, water, gas and other home bills?
Change your Light Bulbs
Energy efficient light bulbs use almost 25% less electricity then that of a regular light bulb. Changing these are easy – simply go to your local Woolworths or Coles and purchase 5 star energy rated bulbs and screw into your lights as if they were regular bulbs. Doing this will easily save you a couple hundred dollars each year!
Is your homes insulation poor?
Your house should have high quality insulation in the roof, doing this will allow you to stay cool in summer while keeping warm in winter. You can also check to make sure that the windows and doors in your house are not letting to much air in, as this will make your heating and cooling bills rather large. An easy solution to window and door insulation is to use ‘door snakes’ which are like thin bean bags that lie behind the door.
Look into weather stripping
Does your house have a constant draft? Check that your doors and windows are not letting any cool or warm air through the gaps. Weather stripping can be bought from your local hardware house and installed easily by even the most novice of home renovators. Doing this will keep your house temperature a lot more constant.
Fix your leaking taps
A leaking tap can fill a swimming pool over the course of 1 year. Imagine how much money that is wasting! Fixing your leaking tap is as easy as going to the hardware house again and buying a $2.00 washer and re-installing it.
Use fans rather than Air Conditioning
Running a fan is nearly 80% cheaper than that of air conditioning. Use the fan in family rooms for the majority of the day and only turn the air con on at night times for individual sleeping rooms. You could find yourself saving a couple hundred dollars over the course of summer.
Turn your computer off
Turn your computer off when you are not using it. Most computers have a 300+ watt power supply that is still eating away at your electricity bill even while you are asleep. The savings on electricity you get from turning appliances off is seriously under rated. If you must have your computer on, ensure that the screen auto turns off after a given period of time.
Use LED Xmas Lights
Christmas lights are fast becoming more standard in Australia. Ranging from use on the outside of the home to inside on Christmas trees, making sure you use LED xmas lights will help you save 80-90% on your electricity bill as they power friendly versions of normal lights. Also remember to turn the xmas lights off when you go to sleep.
Buy an LCD Computer Monitor
LCD Computer screens are 25% more energy efficient then that of the old CRT Displays we used to use. I bet you were waiting to find an excuse like this to switch weren’t you?
Use a tankless water heater
Most Australian houses still use a water heater tank that is constantly lit with gas 24/7. Imagine how much gas is wasted over the course of a year? If you switch to a gas water heater that is tankless – you can heat water instantaneously and save money on gas.
Change your Air Con Filters
Air conditioning units have air filters that require changing more frequently than you may realise. The efficiency of your heater/air con will greatly increase with regular filter changes and cleaning.
Use programmable air con
Why pay money to cool or heat your house while no one is home? Instead use a programmable system that has set times and days to come on, saving you a lot of money on electricity and heating costs.
Take shorter showers
Taking a short shower will greatly reduce your water bill over a full year. You can save between $150 – $500 by just showing for only 2 minutes per day. Remember, this does not make you a grub – most people should be able to get themselves squeaky clean in the shower in no time at all.
Don’t be a slave to your telco
Telco’s are notorious for charging rates that are far to expensive and very uncompetitive. Don’t be afraid to pick up your phone and leave your current telco. Many smaller companies are emerging that are perfect for people wanting to save money. Why not look into using VOIP as a method to save money?
Do you really need Foxtel?
Foxtel costs some Australian’s between $30 and $150 per month. What for? The chance to view advertising on pay TV and watch shows that are currently not up to scratch? Try cancelling your Foxtel or pay TV and doing something more productive with the family.
Get your Air Con Checked
Get your air con checked before summer. Low Freon levels can significantly impair the efficiency of your AC unit and dramatically increase your air con bill at the end of the summer.
Clear your Dryer’s lent trap
Lent in your dryer builds up over time and can not only become a fire hazard, but also become a source of slowing the function of a dryer. This means you will have to run your dryer for extended periods to dry your cloths. In fact, why not try and use the clothes line more? Saves a lot of money!
Get an energy pack at your supermarket
Those people who stand in shopping centre trying to give you a sample green light bulb and water efficient shower head are actually quite nice! Ask them for a sample and give the products a go, you will be really surprised how helpful they are.
Ensure your house gets shade
When doing the gardening or landscaping of your house, trees that provide shade for your entire house are quite worth while. They reduce energy bills and also keep you cooler in summer.
Watering the garden
Try watering your garden early in the morning, that way your plants will soak up the water and not dry out to quickly due to harsh weather conditions.
Change your shower heads
Water efficient shower heads offer strong strength while using half the water. Saving water can be easy by just installing a shower head that has been approved by Water Australia. I managed to cut my water bill down by $250 last year by showering less and using a green friendly shower head.
How do you save on utility bills?
Share with us the ways in which you save on your utility bills!
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