We all want to reduce our power costs. With so many demands these days from appliances, entertainment, and technology it can seem that our power bill just gets bigger and bigger.

Here are 6 Easy Ways to reduce your power costs and make a difference to your Energy Consumption:

Heating and Cooling Efficiently
The simple thing to remember is don’t over-cool or over-heat your home. A difference of just one degree can reduce energy consumption and greenhouse pollution by up to 10%. I’m told that 19 – 21 degrees is an inexpensive and comfortable temperature for your home, all year round.

Turn off stand-by appliances

When something is on standby, there is a small light that blinks at you. Standby power is the electricity consumed by an appliance when it’s not being used. This also includes chargers. Around 10% of Australian household electricity use goes directly on standby power.

I often tell the story of a client who wanted to improve his power bill by issuing the family with torches to be used after dinner. When I queried the cost of batteries, he told me that the torches were all rechargeable. Needless to say, his electricity bill was no less than before.

Solar Hot Water system

Heating water uses a lot of energy. Electric hot water systems are still very common in Australian homes. The cost of these accounts for nearly half of your electric bill. Whilst solar power is one of the cheapest forms of heating hot water, it is important to investigate the actual purchase and installation costs before you rush out to buy one.

Check out the new technology of Tesla – first reports are giving some astounding results for reduced power bills.

The electric kettle
The electric water kettle is one of the most energy hungry appliances you will find in your house. Use it wisely and only boil as much water as you need at the time.

Light bulbs
By now you should have replaced all your old common light bulbs with energy saving ones. This could save a lot of energy on a daily basis. There are many great lighting alternatives that are available on the market, including energy efficient down-lights

Make your fridge more efficient
Your refrigerator uses a lot of energy and the older it is, the higher the probability that it will be a big electricity eater. You don’t need a new fridge to cut your power bill or emissions. You can also save heaps of greenhouse gases by taking a few simple steps:
* turn off second fridge if half empty or not in use (save around $500 per year)
* open door as little as possible
* keep fridges and freezers in a cool, well ventilated spot
* ensure the coils are clean and well ventilated
* fix the door and seals so that they close properly

And don’t forget, factoring the weekly amount of your bill into your budget will ensure you don’t have ‘bill shock’ when it arrives.

©   Carmel McCartin – Budget Bitch

And don’t forget – (The views expressed in this blog are the personal opinions of the author. Don’t rely on them to make financial decisions; you have to make up your own mind. If you don’t like the content – then either stop reading or send me an email)