As part of a busy household, you may not give much thought to your power usage until the energy bill arrives. Then it comes and you wonder how it could possibly be higher than last quarter? If you find your power bill keeps creeping up, or a high bill is eating into your family budget, check out these energy wasters.
1. Your Appliances Aren’t Efficient
Because your energy bill isn’t laid out like a phone bill, it can be really difficult to see what appliances are pushing your consumption up. This is when the assistance of a specialist like Absolute Energy Solutions is worth your time. They can perform an energy audit and show you what changes can be made to lower your consumption, leading to a lower power bill. They can also point out which appliances are no longer energy efficient.
2. Everything is in Stand-by Mode
Switching an appliance off with a remote doesn’t mean it stops consuming power. In fact, it now sits in stand-by, waiting for someone to press a button. During that time, it is using energy. Get in the habit of switching your appliances off at the wall and you will see the benefits come bill time.
3. You Have a Second Fridge Running
Most households rely on a second fridge, especially during busy periods like Christmas or Easter. The problem is, that fridge is using just as much energy as your main fridge (or even more, in some cases). If you can do without two fridges, this will make a huge difference to your power consumption. The cost of running both fridges 24-hours a day, 7 days a week far outweigh the benefit of keeping a few extra drinks cold. Also make sure your fridge temperature is set between 3 and 5 degrees; this is the most energy efficient range.
4. Using the Wrong Lighting
Most people realise they should be switching off lights when they are not in use. What many don’t realise is how much impact the type of lighting can make to their power bill. The use of energy-efficient lights can significantly reduce your power consumption. For example, LED downlights use almost half the energy of halogen bulbs. LED lights offer high outputs without the high running costs and the bulbs are relatively inexpensive to buy.
5. Buying the Wrong Size Air Conditioner
The size and layout of the room you are trying to cool will have a big impact on the size of the air conditioner you need. There are comparison tools online that offer guidance on the right capacity cooler to suit your needs, from an open plan living area to a small study. Running a small split system at a low temperature and trying to cool the whole house uses a lot of energy. Instead, consider installing ceiling fans and keeping your air conditioner in the lounge or family room.
It can be easy to reduce the amount of power being used in your home. These few tips are just a couple of ways to lower your electricity bill – simply by getting rid of waste. What ways do you cut power wastage in your home?
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