Posted on

Q: How can I save money on my power bills?

A: With the price of electricity continuing to climb, taking steps to reduce your power usage is very sensible. Here are 11 ways to do that;

  1. Consider replacing your existing heating source with heat pumps. These are the most efficient way to heat your home and some models also help clean the air, making them ideal for allergy and asthma sufferers.
  2. Install timers on your heated towel rail. This ensures you always have dry towels when you need them, but are not using any more power than necessary.
  3. Replace manual outdoor lights with sensor lights. These come on when there is movement within their field of vision, such as when you are returning home or leaving in dark.
  4. The largest user of electricity in any home is the hot water cylinder. Turn it down to 60° and you’ll feel the effect in your wallet but not in your shower.
  5. To conserve warmth, on winter evenings close your curtains as soon as the sun goes down. Close doors to rooms that don’t need
  6. Replace windows with double glazing to reduce the amount of heat escaping outside.
  7. Stop up any draughts you can find to prevent cold air seeping in.
  8. Use your microwave instead of your oven to cook food. Heating the oven uses lots of power so when using it cook several dishes at once.
  9. A gas hob is more economical than an electric one, partly because the gas is instant whereas it takes time for an electric element to heat up.
  10. Install a ceiling fan (the type with blades) to move warm air down. This is especially useful if your house has high ceilings. Warm air rises and a fan will bring it back down to where it’s needed.
  11. Insulate your ceiling, walls and floors. There is a government subsidy available to help with this through EECA. Visit www.eeca.govt.nz/ to see if you are eligible.
Posted on

How Power Saving can help you save money on your Electricity

Power bills will be higher than ever this winter. Not only are electricity prices going up, but from October there’ll be an increase in GST. But most of us are not being paid more, so we need to reduce the amount of electricity we use.

But how? No doubt you already turn off appliances at the wall. If you do that for every one which has an LED light, you could be saving 10 percent on your power bill.

But, what else can you do? Here are 5 further ways to save on your power bill:

Shop around. Is your power company the cheapest? Don’t know? Visit the Consumer Power Switch website (www.consumer.org.nz/powerswitch) and see if you’re paying more than you need to. However, before you move companies just be sure no penalties will be applied.

Be miserly. Our parents taught us to close doors when we left a room, to keep the heat in, and to turn out lights that weren’t needed. Heed their advice. Wash your clothes in cold water. Plenty of washing powders today are designed specifically for cold washes. Buy energy efficient light bulbs. And, here’s a biggie: only fill the kettle with as much water as you need for your cuppa. We waste a lot of power boiling water we don’t use.

Buy cleverly. When choosing new appliances, check their energy efficiency rating. The higher the rating, the more money you save. When buying a new heater, check that it is the most economical available. For instance, gas will be much cheaper to run than an oil-filled electric heater.

Shower quickly. Did you know that heating water is a major part of your power bill? Long showers and deep baths use up lots of hot water. Keep showers short and baths shallow. Using a low-flow shower head also saves on hot water use.

Use the sun. Keep curtains open during the day to let in the warmth, and close them at dusk to keep it in. If trees shade your house, cut them back. The difference in warmth will astound you.