How to reduce your power bills
Electricity is something we use daily and couldn’t go without, well you could but you’d need to go off the grid and go all hillbilly on us. Setting these drastic steps aside, I hear on a regular basis people complaining about how expensive their electricity bills are becoming.
Other than the fact that we are building bigger houses than ever before the “McMansion” is a term you may of heard of. Homes obviously need to be heated and cooled, the bigger your house the more electricity you will require to do the job.
Recently reported in the Herald Sun, “Victorian homes and small businesses will be slugged with average price rises at least twice the inflation rate, and some at almost five times the CPI…..a 3.8% to 9.7% increase.” Read the full article.
So I thought I would share with you my top ten tips about how to help reduce your electricity usage.
1. DRESS WARMLY. The more layers you have on, the less time you need to use your heater, so rug up. I recently walked into a friend’s home with them sitting on the couch in their t-shirt and their house heated like a sauna, this is just throwing money away.
2. INSULATION. A well insulated house can save you up to 45% of your energy bill. Insulation will not only keep your house warmer in Winter, but also keep your home cooler during Summer. If you already have insulation, it’s worthwhile getting it checked and topping it up if needed.
3. KEEP THE HEAT IN. When your heater is on, close your blinds, curtains and doors. This reduces the amount of heat escaping through window seals and frames and captures the heat for longer. On sunny days, open your blinds and curtains to allow your home to benefit from the sun’s rays, free heat is the best heat!
4. THERMOSTATS. Set your thermostat between 18 and 21 degrees, this will keep your room at a comfortable temperature and maximise your heaters output. Every degree higher can increase your bill by up to 10%.
5. HEATER TIMER. If your heater has a timer, set it for turning on 20 minutes before waking and before going to bed. Timers are energy efficient and are a huge cost saver. If you don’t have one, consider having one installed.
6. DRAUGHT PROOF. A large amount of heat can escape from even the smallest gaps in your home. Seal gaps and cracks in windows, doors, floorboards, architraves and skirting boards to maintain warmth. If you have floorboards, it’s a great idea to cover them with a floor rug to help retain the heat. The good old draught stopper works a treat too!
7. CLOTHES AIRER. Whoever designed these little gems needs an award. Placing wet clothes on a clothes airer in your heated room, not only dries them quickly, but also reduces your bill by not using your clothes dryer.
8. CEILING FANS. Have you ever wondered what the switch is on the side of your ceiling fan? Flick the switch to winter mode to rotate “clockwise” and put your fan on low speed, this will enable the ceiling heat to be
distributed around the room.
9. FENG SHUI. Okay moving your furniture away from vents and the airflow may not provide you with better Feng Shui, but it will improve the efficiency of your heater.
10. MAINTENANCE. Removing your heater filters regularly to clean and also getting your heater serviced
professionally at least every 2 years, is vital and will keep your heater running more efficiently.
At Mako Air we have a full maintenance service to help you with all your heating and cooling needs.