In the next couple of weeks, leaves will start changing colour and the temperature will begin to get cooler. And although ‘tis the season for robes and fuzzy slippers, it also means that our household energy bills will likely see a spike as Aussies switch from air con to heaters.
In fact, according to Origin Energy, 40% of a households energy usage comes from heating and cooling appliances. So before you reach for the heating switch this Autumn, try these 8 easy energy saving tips…
During the day
Use and abuse the sunshine
Even though autumn is like a preview for winter, parts of Australia still get a great deal of sunshine. Use this to your advantage by opening the blinds during the day to let the sun naturally warm your home. Then once the sun sets, shut them to preserve the heat inside rooms.
Give your trees a makeover
In order to use the natural light to heat your home, you’re going to have to clear the path. While your trees served a great purpose by blocking out the sun in summer, it’s time to let those branches retire. Dedicate a day to trimming the branches or bushes outside your windows to make more room for the sunlight to come through.
Use cold H20 wherever possible
Many of us are all about comfort during the cooler months, meaning we’ll do anything to keep warm, like indulging in longer, hot showers. Counteract this by being aware of hot water use in other areas, like doing laundry.
Ditch the blanket for the bottle
Speaking of comfort, there’s nothing sweeter than crawling into bed with an electric blanket. But what if you could get the same feeling without sending your electricity bill through the roof? Go old school by preparing a hot water bottle before bed. Just remember to wrap it in a towel so you don’t burn yourself!
During the night
Pile on the layers
Sorry to break it you, but your feelings towards the cold may just be an overreaction, especially in Autumn. Because when you think about it, we’ve just survived another stinking, hot summer, so any drop in temperature will feel drastic. On your next ‘cold’ night, try throwing on a robe or woollen jumper instead. Who knows, the blizzard could just be in your head.
Power down before you wind down
Once Autumn arrives, it might be time to wave goodbye to those warm nights spent on the verandah and say hello to cozy nights indoors. But this can often mean reaching for phones and laptops, which can eat up electricity. Instead of plugging in during the night, use the time as an opportunity to spend time with your family and bust out the board games. This way, the only thing that will get heated is the bickering between your kids, not your energy bill.
Warm the soul
One of the more uncomfortable aspects of cold weather is cold hands. Our hands work to regulate our body temperature, so the second they detect a chill in the body, it sends more blood to our organs to keep us alive – it’s also why your hands and feet are the first parts of you to feel cold. Keep your hands toasty warm by making a hot chocolate or tea to sip on, you may even find that it helps the rest of your body heat up too!
Bring the heat with you
If you can’t stand the cold and switch on your heating at the first shiver, it might be a good idea to consider investing in a portable heater. These little beauties allow you to only warm up the areas you want and don’t use as much energy as larger heating systems do. When you are shopping around, be sure to look for one with a high star energy efficiency rating.
While it’s great to think outside the box when it comes to saving energy, the biggest way you’ll save on your bill is by switching energy providers. Our Energy Cost Crunch Calculator takes the hassle out of comparing energy plans in your area, all you need to do is fill out a few details!
