Tuesday, January 29

Tips to save money on your electricity bill.

With a recent thirty percent increase in my local electricity rates I have been looking at ways to save money on my power bill. Being the sharer that I am here are a few tips on how you can save money on your electricity charges.

Of course if I lived any where else in this fine country I would be able to go to a comparison website to compare electricity rates and see if there was another local electricity company that could offer me a better deal, but alas that luxury is not available when there is but one electricity company in town. 

Mind you even when there is a choice of provider there is nothing wrong with cutting back where you can. Here are a few simple tips I am planning to take up to save money on my future electricity bills.

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Unplug all appliances at the wall when not in use. 
You know that little red light you see at the bottom of your TV when it is not in use? You would be surprised at how much power all those little lights around your home can use. Sure not having the clock set on the DVD player might be an inconvenience at times but if it saves money throughout the year then it is well worth the inconvenience I say.

Appliances don't need lights. Neither do empty rooms
There is no need to have lights on if there is no one in the room. Even if you have the lowest wattage lights and all that jazz. If it's not in use, turn it off. Which I know is really just common sense but when you have kids common sense isn't always around. Children are our future and the sooner we drum these simple ways of life into them the better.

Fans cool people not rooms. 
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As a tropical living girl, all our rooms have fans. Only that doesn't mean that they need to be on if we are not in the room. I imagine that for those in cooler climates the same can be said about the heater. While on the topic of heaters, it is best if they are not placed in front of windows and all doors, windows and curtains are closed when the heater is in use. It makes it easier to trap the heat within and keep the cold out. Air conditioners also work best when rooms are closed up and draught stoppers should be on every door.

While we are blessed with air conditioners in the bedrooms we have decided that they are now just there for decoration. It won't be too long till the weather changes and things cool down any way, but till then we are just going to tough it out. At least that is the plan. If however that plan crumbles we will only turn it half hour before bed and have a timer turn it off after a few hours. Rather than have it set at arctic temperatures the thermostat will be locked in at 24 degrees. This means that the system will not have to work as hard and thereby not use as much power.

Wash full loads. In cold water.
Be it the dishwasher or the washing machine it doesn't matter. Using cold water saves electricity. Most dishwashers internal heating systems for heating the water, which is much more effective than getting it from the hot tap. And really it is just common sense to wait for full loads before putting either machine on.

As much as I love my great big top loader there is a part of me that is waiting for it to pass away. It is nearly seven years old so I am sure there are much more electricity friendly models out there as front loaders use less power I want to update. 

Harness the power of the sun.
Thankfully we already have solar hot water. And I love it. So much so that I am now looking into getting more solar panels to subsidise the electricity. My friend cleverly had almost their whole roof covered with solar panels which have cut her electricity bill by a third. A third I tell you. Amazing and definitely worth looking into.

Saving electricity is easier than you may think and is really all about making a few simple lifestyle changes. Ones that in the long run will not only save you some cash but also go towards helping the environment. For more tips on how to save on your power bill check out here and here

Joining in with the IBOT gang

16 comments:

  1. I never do not have a full load to wash.. :(

    But anyhoo... I love that we are getting a new solar system when the house is extended.

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  2. Great tips Rhi :)
    Need to start unplugging those constantly plugged in myriad appliances around the house.

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  3. Awesome tips!
    We used to use our drier LOADS when we first moved to the mountains but last winter made a real effort to avoid it and have a house that looked like a chinese laundry instead! We still bust out the drier from time to time but way less regularly than usual.
    I can't wait to have our own house so that we can get solar panels here! Even in our climate where it is misty and over cast for a huge portion of the year we have friends that have saved loads on their bills.
    x

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  4. great tips. i can't believe how expensive electricity is getting. it scares the crap out of me. i know wages certainly haven't increased by 30%!!!

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  5. I need to get better at this, there are lots of things on your list that I don't do even know I know I should! xx

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  6. excellent tips! Air-cons really suck up so much electricity and although we use it just at night, it's quite ex. Must try to cut down and use the fans more often!

    Ai @ Sakura Haruka

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  7. Always on the look out for tips like these :) how about some water ones in a future post? :)

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  8. Great suggestions
    How nice it would be NOT to have a full load of washing (hahahahahha never going to happen)
    Its amazing how many things I "switch off" in my last walk around the house before I go to bed - so many things are usually left on by children and husbands alike!
    xx

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  9. These are fabulous tips, and I should be more vigilant about unplugging appliances. I did choose not to have a dishwasher or drier when we built, the breeze we get here does the job for me thank goodness. xx

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  10. Our bill was more than $1000 the past quarter, (fall off seat) and so I'm in the midst of looking how to power down a bit more. Great tips!! Em

    BTW: Rhianna you rated a few mentions in my IBOT blog - as well as being someone I awarded a Sunshine Award to!! All the details on my post. Love your work :)

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  11. Very timely tips Rhi. My last couple of bills have been rather nasty too so I have been trying to be more conscious about our electricity use this year, for instance minimising use of the air con. May have to go to the next level though, as you have suggested here!

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  12. Great tips Rhianna especially to unplug all appliances something I often forget to do.

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  13. We've been looking at ways to use solar too.
    I can't sleep without the aircon just yet. Boatman is just too warm a person to share with, but we have been using it a lot less during the day, and watching those lights constantly

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  14. We have solar and it cuts the bill in half! I need to get better at turning the air con off earlier in the afternoon when it cools down though! :)

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  15. Good tips, Rhi! We had an energy conservation consultant come and assess our house a little while ago and he gave us similar tips. We just can't underestimate the importance of solar energy...especially in this hot, hot country.

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  16. Our power bill is exorbident for 2 adults - I am dreading to think what it will become when we get to PH :)

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