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How to Beat Rising Power Bills
The news on power bills isn't good, but then when is it? And this week in particular, we have been told, or rather warned, to expect at least two price increases in the cost of our electricity.
Short of going completely off-grid, which would be lovely but is horribly expensive (mainly because I think, the power companies don't want to lose your business), there isn't too much we can do about the cost of power.
We can negotiate a better price, and that is something we do on a regular basis. If you haven't asked for a better price for a couple of years chances are you are paying more than your neighbour.
Get your latest power bill and your phone and give the power company a call. Ask them what their best price is. Now, if you're clever you'll have done some research and found a few deals from other retailers, and you can use these to help with your negotiation.
Just one thing: you need to be prepared to stay with your current retailer and wear the price they are charging you if they won't negotiate, or move. Moving to a new retailer isn't difficult - a phone call or filling out a form online gets it done and you will be notified when the switch is made.
Then make a note of when the honeymoon rate with the new provider ends so you can pick up the phone and work on getting another deal.
Short of going completely off-grid, which would be lovely but is horribly expensive (mainly because I think, the power companies don't want to lose your business), there isn't too much we can do about the cost of power.
We can negotiate a better price, and that is something we do on a regular basis. If you haven't asked for a better price for a couple of years chances are you are paying more than your neighbour.
Get your latest power bill and your phone and give the power company a call. Ask them what their best price is. Now, if you're clever you'll have done some research and found a few deals from other retailers, and you can use these to help with your negotiation.
Just one thing: you need to be prepared to stay with your current retailer and wear the price they are charging you if they won't negotiate, or move. Moving to a new retailer isn't difficult - a phone call or filling out a form online gets it done and you will be notified when the switch is made.
Then make a note of when the honeymoon rate with the new provider ends so you can pick up the phone and work on getting another deal.
But once you've done that what can you do?
Well our power bill is huge compared to most, although we are still within the use for the average four person household.
It's huge because we have three people working full time from home, using power during the peak of the day. Three computers, the modem, three phones, a printer, lights are all going 6 - 8 hours a day five days a week, and on the weekend it can be worse with everyone home and on their various devices.
So we turn lights off when we leave rooms, even if it's just for a couple of minutes. All our lights have been changed over to LEDs and supposedly they are cheaper to use. But we don't use the lights unless it is too dark to see comfortably. In the loungeroom and family room we use table lamps with lower wattage globes rather than turning on the bigger lights.
On the back verandah we have strung up solar lights. Not only do they look pretty but they cost nothing to run. It means Wayne can see when he's barbecuing and I can see to trot down to the bokashi bucket and it hasn't cost us a cent. The solar lights were bought on sale from Kmart years ago and they are still going strong, but you can get them just about anywhere, I've even seen them in Coles.
We turn power points off at the wall. The only things that are on constantly are the fridge, freezers, dishwasher and cooktop. All other power points are turned off when we finish using them. The microwave and kettle, the TV and DVD recorder, the board with the charger for the laptop are all turned off each after they're used and not switched on again until they are needed. Power boards for the computers are turned off at the wall each night.
We have solar chargers for our phones and tablets and my Kindle. These work really well, even coming into winter. If you drive a lot you could charge your phone, tablet, laptop etc. in the car.
Well our power bill is huge compared to most, although we are still within the use for the average four person household.
It's huge because we have three people working full time from home, using power during the peak of the day. Three computers, the modem, three phones, a printer, lights are all going 6 - 8 hours a day five days a week, and on the weekend it can be worse with everyone home and on their various devices.
So we turn lights off when we leave rooms, even if it's just for a couple of minutes. All our lights have been changed over to LEDs and supposedly they are cheaper to use. But we don't use the lights unless it is too dark to see comfortably. In the loungeroom and family room we use table lamps with lower wattage globes rather than turning on the bigger lights.
On the back verandah we have strung up solar lights. Not only do they look pretty but they cost nothing to run. It means Wayne can see when he's barbecuing and I can see to trot down to the bokashi bucket and it hasn't cost us a cent. The solar lights were bought on sale from Kmart years ago and they are still going strong, but you can get them just about anywhere, I've even seen them in Coles.
We turn power points off at the wall. The only things that are on constantly are the fridge, freezers, dishwasher and cooktop. All other power points are turned off when we finish using them. The microwave and kettle, the TV and DVD recorder, the board with the charger for the laptop are all turned off each after they're used and not switched on again until they are needed. Power boards for the computers are turned off at the wall each night.
We have solar chargers for our phones and tablets and my Kindle. These work really well, even coming into winter. If you drive a lot you could charge your phone, tablet, laptop etc. in the car.
On cold days, the windows are closed tight. The only windows open, and then just a crack, are in the kitchen and bathrooms.
During winter, bath the kids in the middle of the afternoon rather than of an evening; don't let them play in the water and get chilled; get them in, washed, out and dried and they won't have time to get cold. Have your own shower or bath during the day. The bathroom will be warm enough without having to turn on a heater, whether it's heated lights or a fan heater or the ducted heating.
Use door sausages on all exterior doors. Do they look dorky? Yes, but they keep out a lot of cold air and that means we aren't using more power to heat the house. And the blinds and drapes are closed as soon as it's dark, to help keep the cold out (and it works - the difference in temperature is amazing).
Another thing on external doors, and windows too: check them for air leaks and then there are any use self-adhesive foam tape around the frames to block those leaks. Yet another simple thing that will make a big difference to the temperature in the house and the need to heat (or cool in summer).
Bring out the throws and blankets and wheat bags to use on chilly mornings and nights rather than turning on the heater.
During winter, bath the kids in the middle of the afternoon rather than of an evening; don't let them play in the water and get chilled; get them in, washed, out and dried and they won't have time to get cold. Have your own shower or bath during the day. The bathroom will be warm enough without having to turn on a heater, whether it's heated lights or a fan heater or the ducted heating.
Use door sausages on all exterior doors. Do they look dorky? Yes, but they keep out a lot of cold air and that means we aren't using more power to heat the house. And the blinds and drapes are closed as soon as it's dark, to help keep the cold out (and it works - the difference in temperature is amazing).
Another thing on external doors, and windows too: check them for air leaks and then there are any use self-adhesive foam tape around the frames to block those leaks. Yet another simple thing that will make a big difference to the temperature in the house and the need to heat (or cool in summer).
Bring out the throws and blankets and wheat bags to use on chilly mornings and nights rather than turning on the heater.
We use our wood fire for heating the house, but it has a fan on it. Overnight we bank the fire up and turn the fan off. In the morning when we get the fire going again, the fan is turned onto high for about an hour to warm up the house, then it is turned down to low to run during the day. To help circulate the warm air we use the ceiling fans (ours have a little switch to reverse the blades so they push the hot air down) that cost 1 cent per hour to run, or around 6 cents a day, or 42 cents a week or $5.04 per quarter. Doing these things means we can heat the whole house without using the ducted heating or the reverse cycle.
If we do use the reverse cycle, it is set to 18 degrees and put on a timer. We also keep the ducted heating set at 18 degrees when we use it (only on the coldest of days to warm the house then it goes off).
Everyone has winter socks and nice warm slippers. We all dress to the season. Layers work - starting with a singlet or spencer, then a long sleeved shirt or blouse or t-shirt, then a jumper. Long pants. These days I feel the cold so I'll slip on a pair of leggings under my jeans and stay toasty all day.
If we do use the reverse cycle, it is set to 18 degrees and put on a timer. We also keep the ducted heating set at 18 degrees when we use it (only on the coldest of days to warm the house then it goes off).
Everyone has winter socks and nice warm slippers. We all dress to the season. Layers work - starting with a singlet or spencer, then a long sleeved shirt or blouse or t-shirt, then a jumper. Long pants. These days I feel the cold so I'll slip on a pair of leggings under my jeans and stay toasty all day.
In the kitchen there are a few things we do that may seem extreme.
For example, once the days are consistently under 20 degrees, I turn the fridge and freezer up. They still stay cold enough but aren't working as hard. Every little bit helps!
We boil the kettle once and then fill the thermos for boiling water for tea and coffee, again, every little bit helps. If you don’t have a thermos, use a thermos or insulated mug for your hot drinks. They'll stay hot longer, meaning you'll drink all of it, rather than pouring it out and boiling the kettle again. The average cost of boiling 1 litre of water in a kettle is 4.02 cents. You might only use 1 cup at a time, but how often do you boil the kettle each day? Boiling it five times a day costs 21 cents, or $1.47 a week, or $17.64 a quarter. Boiling the litre of water once, and putting it in the thermos, will still cost 4.02 cents, but you'll only be boiling it once a day, a significant drop in the cost of that cuppa over the quarter ($14.28 to be precise!).
For example, once the days are consistently under 20 degrees, I turn the fridge and freezer up. They still stay cold enough but aren't working as hard. Every little bit helps!
We boil the kettle once and then fill the thermos for boiling water for tea and coffee, again, every little bit helps. If you don’t have a thermos, use a thermos or insulated mug for your hot drinks. They'll stay hot longer, meaning you'll drink all of it, rather than pouring it out and boiling the kettle again. The average cost of boiling 1 litre of water in a kettle is 4.02 cents. You might only use 1 cup at a time, but how often do you boil the kettle each day? Boiling it five times a day costs 21 cents, or $1.47 a week, or $17.64 a quarter. Boiling the litre of water once, and putting it in the thermos, will still cost 4.02 cents, but you'll only be boiling it once a day, a significant drop in the cost of that cuppa over the quarter ($14.28 to be precise!).
The washing machine is only run when there is a full load.
Ditto the dishwasher.
Frozen meat is thawed in the fridge, and that helps to keep it cool too.
The slow cooker (cost: 3 cents per hour) and pressure cooker are used regularly to prepare meals, rather than the oven. I try to only use the oven (cost: 76 cents per hour) once a week, on a Sunday when I do the roast, and I make sure to keep it full the entire time the meat is cooking to get the most from it and on a Thursday when the boys have their pizzas. When the baking is done, I leave the door open a little bit to let the warm air out and will often slip in a tray of bread ends to dry for crumbs. Waste not, want not.
There is usually a pot of water on the top of the fire, heating up. This can be used for cooking or washing up or even a hot drink.
We don’t have a clothes dryer. In winter, or on wet summer days, the washing is dried indoors, on clotheshorses. In winter it is set by the fire and the washing dries overnight. Clothes dryers cost around $1.17 an hour to run! Most loads take at least an hour to dry, and if you are drying five loads a week for one hour, that's $5.85 a week extra on your power bill, or $70.20 a quarter! That's a week's grocery money - are you going to not eat for a week just to use the clothes dryer?
Going to extremes, on sunny days, take your cuppa and book or laptop or knitting and sit in the car. It will be warm and toasty and it's free heating! Will the neighbours think you are odd? Maybe, or maybe they'll think you're brilliant for utilising free energy to stay warm, and cut the power bill.
None of these things is rocket science. They are all simple things anyone can do, regardless of where they live, if they really want to.
And they all, when combined, make a significant difference in the power bill.
You can complain about the power bill, or you can be proactive and do something about it.
The choice is yours.
Ditto the dishwasher.
Frozen meat is thawed in the fridge, and that helps to keep it cool too.
The slow cooker (cost: 3 cents per hour) and pressure cooker are used regularly to prepare meals, rather than the oven. I try to only use the oven (cost: 76 cents per hour) once a week, on a Sunday when I do the roast, and I make sure to keep it full the entire time the meat is cooking to get the most from it and on a Thursday when the boys have their pizzas. When the baking is done, I leave the door open a little bit to let the warm air out and will often slip in a tray of bread ends to dry for crumbs. Waste not, want not.
There is usually a pot of water on the top of the fire, heating up. This can be used for cooking or washing up or even a hot drink.
We don’t have a clothes dryer. In winter, or on wet summer days, the washing is dried indoors, on clotheshorses. In winter it is set by the fire and the washing dries overnight. Clothes dryers cost around $1.17 an hour to run! Most loads take at least an hour to dry, and if you are drying five loads a week for one hour, that's $5.85 a week extra on your power bill, or $70.20 a quarter! That's a week's grocery money - are you going to not eat for a week just to use the clothes dryer?
Going to extremes, on sunny days, take your cuppa and book or laptop or knitting and sit in the car. It will be warm and toasty and it's free heating! Will the neighbours think you are odd? Maybe, or maybe they'll think you're brilliant for utilising free energy to stay warm, and cut the power bill.
None of these things is rocket science. They are all simple things anyone can do, regardless of where they live, if they really want to.
And they all, when combined, make a significant difference in the power bill.
You can complain about the power bill, or you can be proactive and do something about it.
The choice is yours.