5 Easy steps to Reduce your Winter Energy bills
Winter is almost upon us and it’s been so much colder than last year I have already dug out our winter woolies to keep us warm in the morning and at night. This makes me think we may be in for a harsh winter, which means a harsh energy bills. When the weather takes a turn it’s always easy to turn to your appliances for comfort, here are some tips from the team at SESM to help you freeze out those winter energy bills. 1. Dryers – In some houses these are inevitable, lots of loads of washing in busy households means on those weeks when it doesn’t stop raining you need to rely on your dryer. Don’t despair, you can use it efficiently minimising the impact on your energy bills.
When the air simply won’t dry your clothes don’t chuck them straight in the dryer still hang them out on your drying rack, by the morning if you need a few things simply chuck them in the dryer for ten minutes and they will be dry and warm when you put them on.
I often put a rag in the tumble dryer with a spot of essential oil so my clothes come out smelling fresh.
Don’t over load your dryer or you’ll cause it to work twice as hard for twice as long.
2. Heating - No matter if you have gas or electric heaters or use an air-conditioner to heat your home, by following a few simple rules your winter heating won’t break the budget. Only heat the room that you’re in, close off doors and windows to trap the warm air in. Where possible close curtains to prevent heat loss through windows.
Control your thermostat, resist the urge to crank it all the way to 30 degrees, dressing in suitable winter clothes and laying a blanket on your lap will keep you warm. Combine that and having your thermostat at 18 degrees you’ll feel toasty warm.
3. Hot Water – is another big energy spending during the cooler months, as the pipes are cooler the hot water system must work harder to warm your water. Keep your tap on cold when rinsing your dishes if you turn your tap on and it’s on the hot setting even if the hot water doesn’t reach the faucet you’ll still be paying for hot water!
Resist the urge to stand under the hot shower in the morning to heat up, things can happen a bit slower on a winter morning, as such put a timer in your shower to ensure you don’t spend too long in there. You can invest in either a heat lamp and jump out and stand under that or a heated towel rail and wrap yourself in a warm towel which cost a fraction of the cost to standing under the shower.
4. Get Out – It’s the perfect time of year to get out and go for a cycle or a lovely bush walk, the more time you spend in the great outdoors the less time you’ll be indoors relying on your appliances.
5. Turn It Off – Avoid using power you don’t need, only have lights on in the rooms you are in and turn everything else off at the wall, flick the switch or invest in timer switches to keep your energy consumption in check. Standby consumption can cost you around $120 a year, save that cash by simply flicking everything off at the wall.
I hope these tips help you save energy, save money this winter.