Energy is on people’s minds, lips and in their thoughts. Energy prices, renewable energy, fossil fuels, it’s all over the news. Whatever your motivation – the rising cost of it or the impact on the environment – there are some stringent strategies you can put into place to reduce your at home energy costs.

Switch off and unplug
Did you know that even on standby mode, if your device is plugged in there is power being used which essentially being wasted. When you switch off anything make sure you also switch off at the wall socket and take out the plug. Alternatively, you can purchase smart boards which will identify when an appliance is on standby, and cut of the power without cutting it off from anywhere else.

Switch your bulbs to LED
The combined lighting usage in Australian households account for 8-15% of energy consumption. This figure could be halved if everyone upgraded to more energy efficient lightbulbs like, LED and fluorescents. LED lightbulbs not only save energy, they also last up to 50 times longer than some standard lightbulbs.

Ditch the dryer
Clothes dryers use up a lot of energy in the home and in Australia, are probably one of the easiest appliances to ditch. Drying your clothes naturally by hanging them on the line outside could significantly reduce your energy costs. Just save it for rainy weeks and absolute emergencies.

Dry your hair naturally

This may come as a surprise, but hair dryers can cost a lot when used often. They use a lot of electricity for their size, in order to blow hot air fast. And the higher the wattage the more they use. If you can, opt to dry it naturally. If that’s not an option, then look for lower wattage dryers or use a lower heat setting.

Heat or cool the house naturally

If you’re using appliances to heat or cool the home, it stands to reason your energy consumption will be high. Try to avoid using them unless absolutely necessary by cooling/heating naturally:

• *  Cool the house by closing blinds and using awnings to shade from the sun. Open windows and doors to allow the breeze to flow through the home.

• *  Heat the house by opening the blinds and letting the sun in to warm the house. Or, if it’s very cold or there’s no sun, batten down the hatches, close the blinds, close the doors, and shut off any drafts.

If you have air con then get it serviced regularly to ensure it’s running as efficiently as possible. There are going to be days where you’ll need to use it, so this will ensure it’s not just wasting your money.

Use energy-efficient appliances

There’s more than one price tag on appliances and that’s the energy rating. You may think you’re getting a bargain finding the cheapest TV but in reality, the energy consumption will end up costing you more over the long term. Look for the energy efficiency rating whenever you’re considering a new purchase.

Article provided by Integrated Technologies Australia