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Arrgghh! The Electricity Bill Has Gone Up, Again!
25 Easy Ways to Use Less Power
It's the cry being heard around the country. The power bill has gone up, even though actual use may have gone down.
Thirty, thirty-five, even fourty per cent, and up to sixty per cent expected this year alone, power bills are the biggest pain to the family budget other than the mortgage.
There's not much we can do about the cost, other than shopping around to find a better deal, and should be doing that. You don't need to switch supplier right now, but do take the time, even if it's just 15 minutes a day, to start collecting rates so you can do the comparison.
And then it's up to us. We need to slash how much power we use.
Right now, it's chilly, positively cold, being mid-winter, and even the Armstrong household has given in and turned on the air-conditioner to the heat setting a few times to give the combustion heater a helping hand. But what about when summer comes? And it's hot and humid and we need to cool down? What can we do to cut down on power use?
Well here are some of the things we are doing in our household, in no particular order, and they apply all year round. They may not be new, but they may just give you a nudge if you're needing it, to cut power use.
Thirty, thirty-five, even fourty per cent, and up to sixty per cent expected this year alone, power bills are the biggest pain to the family budget other than the mortgage.
There's not much we can do about the cost, other than shopping around to find a better deal, and should be doing that. You don't need to switch supplier right now, but do take the time, even if it's just 15 minutes a day, to start collecting rates so you can do the comparison.
And then it's up to us. We need to slash how much power we use.
Right now, it's chilly, positively cold, being mid-winter, and even the Armstrong household has given in and turned on the air-conditioner to the heat setting a few times to give the combustion heater a helping hand. But what about when summer comes? And it's hot and humid and we need to cool down? What can we do to cut down on power use?
Well here are some of the things we are doing in our household, in no particular order, and they apply all year round. They may not be new, but they may just give you a nudge if you're needing it, to cut power use.
1. This is the number one rule: one light per room, and if no one is in the room, the light is off. We very rarely ever turn the ceiling lights on in our living room, instead using one table lamp while we're watching television, or working on our computers or reading or knitting. With the light from the television it is more than enough and doesn't strain our eyes.
2. Use solar lights outside to light paths and verandahs. I have solar lights stuck into pots and they light the paths beautifully of an evening, staying bright until well after we go to bed. A bonus is they seem to help keep the possums and other critters not only out of our yard, but out of the vegetable garden too.
3. The second rule is just as important and just as big a power saver: if you're not using an appliance, turn it off at the wall. In our house everything is turned off if it's not being used except for the fridge, freezers, rangehood, dishwasher and washing machine. We have turned off the electronic ignition to the cooktop too, and just use the gas lighter to light the burners.
4. When it is hot, we get up early and close all the windows and blinds or drapes, and the doors and turn on the fans. This keeps our home cool all day as long as the outside temperature stays under 32C. If it goes over 32C, then we turn the air conditioner on and set the thermostat to 25C. Combined with the fans, it cools the whole house and the unit isn't working so hard.
5. Keep the thermostat at a reasonable temperature. In winter we set the air conditioner thermostat to 18C, in summer it's set at 25C, and it's turned off overnight.
6. When it is cold, and it is has been very cold the last couple of weeks, we do the reverse and open the blinds to let the sun in during the day. As soon as the sun starts to set, about 4.45pm in mid-winter for us, the blinds and drapes are closed to keep the cold out.
7. Windows and doors have draught sausages, summer and winter, to keep the draughts out.
8. Dress to the season. You don't wear a singlet and shorts in mid-winter, with the heating cranked up, and then whine about the bill. In winter wear layers: go old-school and put on a singlet or spencer, then a long sleeved shirt, a jumper, warm pants, warm socks and slippers for indoors. If you suffer from cold hands, wear fingerless gloves, they will keep your hands warm while your fingers are free. In summer, light clothing and sandals for indoors, add a hat and sunscreen for outdoors.
9. Dress to the season for bed too. In winter, again layers and remember to keep your feet warm and your head cool. Cold feet will disturb your sleep, if not keep you awake, so wear some warm, fluffy socks. If it is very cold, a beanie on your head will help too.
10. Make your bed to suit the season. In summer a sheet and a light weight blanket or doona is plenty. In winter I make the beds with micro fleece sheets (I made them, bought the micro fleece on sale) on the bottom, a regular cotton sheet, a blanket and a winter weight doona. Everyone is toasty warm, no need for electric blankets or heating the bedroom or even for wheat bags.
3. The second rule is just as important and just as big a power saver: if you're not using an appliance, turn it off at the wall. In our house everything is turned off if it's not being used except for the fridge, freezers, rangehood, dishwasher and washing machine. We have turned off the electronic ignition to the cooktop too, and just use the gas lighter to light the burners.
4. When it is hot, we get up early and close all the windows and blinds or drapes, and the doors and turn on the fans. This keeps our home cool all day as long as the outside temperature stays under 32C. If it goes over 32C, then we turn the air conditioner on and set the thermostat to 25C. Combined with the fans, it cools the whole house and the unit isn't working so hard.
5. Keep the thermostat at a reasonable temperature. In winter we set the air conditioner thermostat to 18C, in summer it's set at 25C, and it's turned off overnight.
6. When it is cold, and it is has been very cold the last couple of weeks, we do the reverse and open the blinds to let the sun in during the day. As soon as the sun starts to set, about 4.45pm in mid-winter for us, the blinds and drapes are closed to keep the cold out.
7. Windows and doors have draught sausages, summer and winter, to keep the draughts out.
8. Dress to the season. You don't wear a singlet and shorts in mid-winter, with the heating cranked up, and then whine about the bill. In winter wear layers: go old-school and put on a singlet or spencer, then a long sleeved shirt, a jumper, warm pants, warm socks and slippers for indoors. If you suffer from cold hands, wear fingerless gloves, they will keep your hands warm while your fingers are free. In summer, light clothing and sandals for indoors, add a hat and sunscreen for outdoors.
9. Dress to the season for bed too. In winter, again layers and remember to keep your feet warm and your head cool. Cold feet will disturb your sleep, if not keep you awake, so wear some warm, fluffy socks. If it is very cold, a beanie on your head will help too.
10. Make your bed to suit the season. In summer a sheet and a light weight blanket or doona is plenty. In winter I make the beds with micro fleece sheets (I made them, bought the micro fleece on sale) on the bottom, a regular cotton sheet, a blanket and a winter weight doona. Everyone is toasty warm, no need for electric blankets or heating the bedroom or even for wheat bags.
11. Look for phantom power thieves. Mobile phone chargers, computer or laptop chargers, TV sets, anything that you tend to forget runs on power. Things like chargers for battery operated tools (stick vac? Turn it off when it is charged.) still draw power even when not actually charging anything. And the microwave oven and kettle - do they have a clock or light that is on all the time? Turn it off at the wall. Fill your kettle in the morning, boil it and then pour the boiling water into a thermos for your hot drinks through the day, rather than boiling the kettle every hour or so. Have an electric toothbrush? Turn it on to charge while you are in the shower, then turn it off at the wall.
12. When you turn the oven on, plan to fill it to make the most of the heat.
13. Turn the thermostat of your fridge down in winter and the freezer thermostat up- they doesn't need to be so cold.
14. Use power saving appliances - slow cookers, pressure cookers, the microwave oven to prepare meals.
12. When you turn the oven on, plan to fill it to make the most of the heat.
13. Turn the thermostat of your fridge down in winter and the freezer thermostat up- they doesn't need to be so cold.
14. Use power saving appliances - slow cookers, pressure cookers, the microwave oven to prepare meals.
15. Cook once, eat two or three times - if you're going to use the oven or the stove, do more than one meal and put the others in the fridge for later that week, or freeze them. Then thaw and warm in the microwave when you are ready to eat them.
16. Only run the dishwasher if it is full.
17. Only run the washing machine if it is full, and check your wash cycles - choose the fastest to use less power.
18. Don't use the dryer - mine made a wonderful stockpile store. Instead get some clotheshorses and use those to dry the washing. Everyone in our house has a clotheshorse that sits over the heating vent in their bedroom or next to the fire. The wet washing goes on in the morning and is dry the next day, ready to be folded (or in the case of the boys, put back on) and put away so the next lot of wet washing can be hung to dry.
19. Get out those quilts and blankets and knee rugs and use them if you are sitting to watch television or to craft or sew or work at your desk. They're not just for decoration, our great-great grandmothers knew the value of a knee rug for keeping warm, even in church.
16. Only run the dishwasher if it is full.
17. Only run the washing machine if it is full, and check your wash cycles - choose the fastest to use less power.
18. Don't use the dryer - mine made a wonderful stockpile store. Instead get some clotheshorses and use those to dry the washing. Everyone in our house has a clotheshorse that sits over the heating vent in their bedroom or next to the fire. The wet washing goes on in the morning and is dry the next day, ready to be folded (or in the case of the boys, put back on) and put away so the next lot of wet washing can be hung to dry.
19. Get out those quilts and blankets and knee rugs and use them if you are sitting to watch television or to craft or sew or work at your desk. They're not just for decoration, our great-great grandmothers knew the value of a knee rug for keeping warm, even in church.
20. Look into haybox cooking. It works, you just need to think ahead to get the meal started early in the morning. Great for cooking rice and pasta, and heating thawed stews and soups. You can make them, or you can buy them - think Dreampot or Wonderbag, they are modern, powerless versions of a haybox cooker; there are generic, less expensive versions available if you don't want to make one.
21. We live in the best country in the world for this appliance and it costs nothing to run: a solar cooker. You can make them, you can buy them. Again you just need to think ahead to use it to it's fullest, but they cost nothing to run; free power for cooking is not to be ignored. Even in winter on a sunny day, you can use a solar cooker.
22. Solar chargers. We have them for our phones and computers; we have bigger portable solar panels to charge bigger batteries to power our portable fridge/freezer, our computers, phones, cameras and so on.
21. We live in the best country in the world for this appliance and it costs nothing to run: a solar cooker. You can make them, you can buy them. Again you just need to think ahead to use it to it's fullest, but they cost nothing to run; free power for cooking is not to be ignored. Even in winter on a sunny day, you can use a solar cooker.
22. Solar chargers. We have them for our phones and computers; we have bigger portable solar panels to charge bigger batteries to power our portable fridge/freezer, our computers, phones, cameras and so on.
23. Plan your car trips. How can this cut your power use? By using the driving time to charge your phone or tablet! Don't waste a car trip.
24. Go back to basics when it comes to using appliances. Use a knife instead of the food processor; an egg beater or whisk instead of the mixer; a thermos to make yoghurt instead of the oven or slow cooker or pressure cooker or Thermomix; use a rolling pin to crush biscuits or dried bread for crumbs; use a grater to grate cheese or onion or carrot or other veggies. Dampen clothes, put them on hangers and let them hang in the bathroom while you shower to get rid of wrinkles instead of ironing them. On that note, sponge clothes rather than putting them in the wash after just one wear.
24. Go back to basics when it comes to using appliances. Use a knife instead of the food processor; an egg beater or whisk instead of the mixer; a thermos to make yoghurt instead of the oven or slow cooker or pressure cooker or Thermomix; use a rolling pin to crush biscuits or dried bread for crumbs; use a grater to grate cheese or onion or carrot or other veggies. Dampen clothes, put them on hangers and let them hang in the bathroom while you shower to get rid of wrinkles instead of ironing them. On that note, sponge clothes rather than putting them in the wash after just one wear.
25. Close off rooms you don't use. No point in heating them, and therefore spending money, for nothing.
That's 25 things anyone can do, regardless of where you live, or the time of year, to cut electricity use and trim that power bill.
That's 25 things anyone can do, regardless of where you live, or the time of year, to cut electricity use and trim that power bill.