Paying high electricity bills monthly is one of the most common problems that almost every household in Melbourne has to face. However, when you know how to effectively use smart appliances and learn a few tips, you can save a considerable amount on electricity bills. Here are 10 tips to keep your electricity expense down in Melbourne homes.
#1. Wear the right clothes for the temperature.
In winter, Melbourne’s average temperatures range from 6.5 – 14.2°C (43.7 – 57.6°F). Layering clothes and wools can keep you warm in the winter and that also means that you do not need to turn on the heater.
#2. Shut doors and close curtains.
Your high electricity bills can be a result of heating or cooling the whole house. In order to keep it down, where possible, you’d better shut doors to areas that are not currently being used. Only heat or cool the rooms that are more likely to be used.
Make sure that you close your window curtains and blinds properly at night and during the day as well.
#3. Use cold water to wash clothes.
If the weather is not too cold, you can wash your clothes using cold water rather than hot one. Also, you can set the shortest appropriate washing cycle of your washing machine. This way, you can keep your electricity bills down drastically.
#4. Save energy in the kitchen.
As the microwave consumes less energy than an electric oven, when possible, use the microwave when you are cooking. If you use the stove, keep lids on your posts to decrease cooking time. As for dishwashers, you can make use of economy mode and only run it when it is full. Instead of using dishwasher’s automatic drying function, you can save electricity bills by letting your dishes dry naturally.
#5. Turn heaters and coolers off when they are not needed.
Make sure that you turn all your heaters and coolers in the house before you leave the room or go to bed.
#6. Use your fridge efficiently.
One of the most possible reasons making your fridge the most expensive appliances is that you keep it on most of the time. Make sure that you close your fridge’s door tightly to leave no gaps so cold air cannot escape. In case you have a second fridge or freezer, only when you need it should you turn it on.
#7. Minimise standby power waste.
Some people mistakenly think if we set devices on standby mode they would save more electricity; it, nevertheless, turns out that it actually consumes much more electricity than you think and accounts for 10% of your total power usage. So if you do not need to use home devices, you should switch them off completely.
#8. Set your thermostat.
Melbourne often experiences variable weather conditions from hot to cold. In winter heating can take up for over 30% of your bill. Set your thermostat between 18 and 20 degrees while in summer you can set it up to at least 26 degrees.
#9. Use energy-efficient light globes.
Energy-efficient light globes, in fact, help to save electricity and last longer than you think they do. So it is time you replaced all old incandescent and halogen light globes with energy-efficient ones.
#10. Insulate your roof.
An insulated ceiling can contribute a great deal to lowering your electricity bills. If you already have insulation installed, you just need to make sure that it has been properly installed and has the right rating (measured in ‘R-value’). In Victoria, insulation rated R3.5 or higher should be used for ceilings.
