Saving Money on Your Energy Bill

With energy costs rising by the day many households are struggling to make ends meet. There are many ways to reduce energy consumption around the home, not only  saving you money & also benefiting the environment.

 Kitchen:

• Use a crock pot instead of the oven when making stews & casseroles.
• Run the dishwasher only when it is full.
• Make sure fridge seals are in good condition.
• Maintain the efficiency of your fridge by vacuuming the coils at the back every 6 months.
• Open the fridge door as little as possible. Know what you want from there before opening the door so you aren't left standing there & letting the warm air in. 
• Use the right sized cooking ring for your pans. Don't place a large pan on a small ring or a use a small pan on a large ring.
• Put lids on pots & pans when cooking.

Bathroom:

• Use the shower instead of the bath.
• Take shorter showers.

Bedroom:  

• Use more blankets instead of an electric blanket.

Laundry:

• Avoid tumble drying your clothes. If it is  sunny hang them outside on the line. If you live in an apartment or it is raining use a clothes horse.
• Only do a full load of washing.
• Use clothes in cold water.
• Wait until you have a full load.
• If you do use a tumble dryer, make sure the lint filters are cleaned after every use.
• Don't overload the tumble dryer.
• Front loaders use less energy (and water) than top loaders.

Heating:

• Put on an extra layer of clothes.
• Use draft excluders on doors.
• Don't let heat escape through the windows. Close curtains & blinds at night time.
• Don't run heaters in rooms you are not occupying.
• Close internal doors to prevent heat escaping.

Cooling:

• Use ceiling fans instead of air conditioning.
• Close curtains & blinds if you are leaving the house on a warm day.

Lighting:

• Switch lights out in rooms you are not using
• Use energy efficient lightbulbs
• Use natural light where possible
• Put security lights on a timer instead of keeping them on all night.

Electronics:

• Turn off TV's DVD players & computers when not in use. Turning them off at the wall is the most energy efficient method as even on standby, many appliances still use power.

Miscellaneous:

• Unplug household appliances which are not used often.
• Take advantage of off peak energy. We try to wash clothes & run the dishwasher during off peak hours, it is a third of the price of peak energy.
• Clean the filters on your air conditioner at the beginning of every season (ie; 4 times a year). This will greatly improve item's efficiency.
• Sweep instead of vacuum floors.
• Buy a water heater insulation blanket.
• If you are replacing a water heater consider purchasing a solar one.
• Avoid having several lights on the one switch (ie down lights). Use lamps with energy efficient bulbs instead.
• A huge percentage of heat is lost through the roof. Consider insulating your attic.
• Check the energy efficient rating on all appliances you are considering buying. Buy the most energy efficient one you can.
• If you have a bar fridge to store extra food or drinks for special occasions then plug it in only when it is needed, don't keep it running all the time.
• Unplug battery chargers when not in use.