Take the heat out of your electricity bill this winter
The Rheem 20 continuous flow hot water
system has 5-star energy efficiency |
Keeping warm on cool nights, indulging in long, hot showers, taking the chill off a room – it's no surprise
that winter is the season where many of us use the most power, and create the most carbon pollution. With new electricity price hikes affecting most states across Australia from 1 July 2011, there’s now an added incentive to make sure your electricity usage stays at a minimum. Fortunately, there are lots of things you can do to cut down your power use this winter – steps that will save you money and minimise your impact on the environment, but still keep you comfortable at home.
What you can do
Choose an energy-efficient heating system
Use zoned central heating, high-efficiency space heaters or radiant heaters and you could save 40 per cent on your heating power use
Use timers
Use timers on heaters so they’re programmed to come on and off at set times. That way you can still wake up to a snug house, without paying for a night’s worth of power
Rug up
Wear warm clothing around the house and use an extra blanket on the bed so you don't need to have your heater turned up so high. Decreasing your temperature setting by just one degree can reduce your power consumption rate by up to 15 per cent
Dig out your hot water bottle
Fill up a hot water bottle rather than turning on the electric blanket for a warm, cosy night’s sleep
Block off heat loss
When your heater's on, make sure you always shut windows, shut doors to bathrooms and close curtains, especially at night, as a window can lose 10 times as much heat as the same area of insulated wall
Make a curtain call
Use curtains, particularly thick ones, to minimise heat loss on winter nights
Solar hot water systems save you money
without costing the earth (Rheem Premier Hiline). |
Stop the draught
Draught-proofing by sealing gaps and using draught excluders on your doors makes your home more comfortable and saves on your power bill
Install insulation
Up to 35 per cent of heat loss from a house can be due to a ceiling that's not insulated. Ceiling insulation keeps your home warmer in winter and helps your heater run more efficiently
Get out of hot water
Electric hot water systems can account for a third of your electricity use. Switching from standard electric storage heaters to solar, heat pump or gas will make big savings on your bill
Switch off your appliances at the wall
Any appliance with blinking coloured lights is costing you money. Stand-by appliances use energy, and cost money just by sitting there, and they cost more than you think. In fact, the average Australian household spends around $180 a year on standby power. So switch them off
Rheem’s heat pump cleverly removes
heat energy from the ambient air and
stores it in the water tank. |
Buying energy efficient appliances Top tips from EnergyAustralia
There are a number of things to consider when buying a new appliance or system for your home. EnergyAustralia has put together a quick checklist to help you choose the most suitable energy efficient accessories for your home. - Choose appliances with a high star energy rating as they are more
efficient. The more stars an appliance has, the less energy it uses
- Choose appliances or systems with a programmable timer and thermostat
- Before buying new appliances, research and compare products online to see how energy efficient they are. You can compare product types and brands online through the government site www.energyrating.gov.au
-
Some state government websites provide a summary of appliance running costs (per hour) which can help you select the most appropriate appliance for your needs
- Make sure you buy an appliance that is suitable for your household size and won't use more energy than you need
-
When choosing an appliance, check that it is suitable for your local climate. Some appliances work more effectively depending on the climate
|
For further household energy efficiency tips, head to the Energy Institute website:
http://www.energyinstitute.com.au/
Images courtesy of Rheem www.rheem.com.au