5 Ways to Save Money on Your Energy Bill

Energy costs continue to rise across Australia, with the Australia Bureau of Statistics reporting that electricity prices are up 72 percent, and other energy prices up by 45 percent.

While the actual increase depends on which city you call your home, even the lowest area saw a 42 percent increase in electricity costs. While you can’t stop the fluctuations in energy prices, you can take control of energy savings in your home.

Some changes are simple, such as lowering your heating temperature, while others are more drastic and costly improvements to your home.

Programmable Thermostat

When your house is empty while everyone is at school or work, there’s no point in running the heater the entire time. However, you don’t want to come home to a cold house. Instead of running high bills or freezing as soon as you step in the door, Consumer Energy recommends a programmable thermostat. You set it as low as is safe for your water pipes during the day. Then, an hour or two before everyone arrives home, set it at a normal temperature. You directly save on energy costs and quickly pay for the cost of the unit.

Appliance Changes

Not all appliances are created equally when it comes to energy efficiency. For example, a top loading washer uses significantly more water and energy than a front loader. If you have older appliances, they do not have the same energy efficient technology that modern appliances do. Take a look at the energy ratings on your appliances and your prospective selections. This doesn’t get you an instant return on investment the way a programmable thermostat does, but it’s great for your energy bills in the long run.

Avoiding Phantom Power

Phantom power refers to the energy that electronics pull through the outlet even when they aren’t in use. While it’s not a significant amount of energy individually, when you have appliances, televisions, computers, entertainment systems, and every other bit of electronics, it adds up. Power strips, especially smart strips, are a great way to manage this problem. A standard power strip can be turned off and on as needed, allowing you to turn off all of the devices attached to it at once. The smart power strip has a main outlet that you plug in for something like a computer. When the primary device is turned off, all of the other devices on that power strip are turned off as well.

Comparing Energy Providers

Look into other energy providers in your region. You don’t have to lock in to a single provider simply because that’s who you always used. Websites such as Energysavings.com allows you to look up all of the providers in your area, giving you a way to figure out whether you’re actually getting a good deal on your heating and cooling costs. Until you compare costs, you don’t know how much you could save. It’s possible the companies are running incentives for new customers to entice you away from your current provider, as well.