While many Australians think they’re being conservative with their energy use, there’s usually a host of things they can be doing to cull their quarterly bill.
And Australian budgeting expert, Michelle Thompson-Laing, 32, found this out first hand when a series of simple tweaks she made cut her annual energy spend by $5,400.
Taking to her blog, Keep Calm Get Organised, recently, Ms Thompson-Laing said when she moved into her house in 2016, she was told by the previous owners that the electricity bills were averaging $1,800 a quarter.
‘I started to panic that we had bought some kind of energy black hole and promptly did some pretty serious tightening of our spending,’ she said.
Australian budgeting expert, Michelle Thompson-Laing, 32, made a few simple tweaks and was able to cut her annual energy spend by $5,400
Ms Thompson-Laing said the first thing to consider is the type of lights you use, explaining that halogen lights use 75 – 80 per cent more electricity to run than LED down lights
But despite her concerns, the mother-of-three has been able to keep the energy bill for their family of five to a quarter ($450) of what the previous homeowners, also a family of five, were spending.
‘We have the same number of people living in the exact same house and we are spending a quarter of what they were spending. I guess my energy efficient husband has taught me something after all!’ She said.
Ms Thompson-Laing said the first thing to consider is the type of lights you use, explaining that halogen lights use 75 – 80 per cent more electricity to run than LED down lights.
As her home was full of them, Ms Thompson-Laing changed over all the lights initially (costing them $8 – $10) per globe but noticed a major change to their power bill.
As her home was full of them, Ms Thompson-Laing changed over all the lights initially (costing them $8 – $10) per globe but noticed a major change to their power bill
Ms Thompson-Laing also encourages homeowners to invest in insulation to cut costs on heating and cooling and to set air conditioners and heaters using a timer. The optimal temperature is 23 degrees in summer and 18 degrees in winter
She also advises people to check with their energy companies to see if there are ‘on and off peak times’ and to always remember to turn off lights, computers, TVs and heaters when they leave the room.
Ms Thompson-Laing also encourages homeowners to invest in insulation to cut costs on heating and cooling and to set air conditioners and heaters using a timer. The optimal temperature is 23 degrees in summer and 18 degrees in winter.
The thrifty mother also reminded people that they can save more than 20 per cent on their electricity usage just by changing providers and that a lot of the big changes can be made in the kitchen alone.
Ms Thompson-Laing added that dishwashers should be used efficiently and suggests that it’s only used with a full load on an eco wash option if it’s available
When it comes to the fridge and freezer, she encourages people to make sure they’re full to avoid using more energy than necessary, to avoid opening and closing them
This can be done by taking notice of the energy rating on different appliances as while an energy efficient appliance may be more expensive to purchase, the savings are worth it.
Ms Thompson-Laing added that dishwashers should be used efficiently and suggests that it’s only used with a full load on an eco wash option if it’s available.
When it comes to the fridge and freezer, she encourages people to make sure they’re full to avoid using more energy than necessary, to avoid opening and closing them and to teach kids to decide on what they want rather than standing in front of it.
‘Get everything out of the fridge in one go, preheat the oven and pan only for as long as is needed and don’t leave it heating for extended periods of time without food in it,’ Ms Thompson-Laing said
When cooking, she says there are a number of things people can do to cut down on energy.
‘Get everything out of the fridge in one go, preheat the oven and pan only for as long as is needed and don’t leave it heating for extended periods of time without food in it,’ Ms Thompson-Laing said.
‘Bulk cook where possible. Once the oven is on, it uses just as much energy to cook multiple dishes at the one time as it does to cook just one. The same goes for boiling or steaming vegetables or cooking food in a pan. Bulk cooking saves energy and time.’