15 Jun How To Save Money on Your Energy Bill
There are loads of great things about winter. Hot chocolate, cuddly sweaters, a roaring fire, fuzzy socks, roast dinners, cozying up on the couch for a night of Netflix…
And, of course, there are some not so great things about it, too. Like having to defrost your windshield in the dark before work. Or stepping in surprise puddles when you make a mad dash from the car in a poorly timed downpour. Or the fact that everyone in your house begins sneaking longer and hotter showers each morning, while your power creeps up to epic, time-to-stock-up-on2-minute-noodles proportions.
Power bills in winter are the worst. But putting a blanket ban on the heatpump and insisting the kids rug up in hoodies and beanies indoors isn’t the best solution.
Your hot water usage accounts for around 30% of a typical power bill – so ensuring your hot water cylinder is performing as it should, and cutting hot water usage, should be every household’s first port of call in the battle against hefty power bills.
Here are 7 simple things you can do to trim the proverbial fat – so you have more money to burn on other winter essentials… like red wine.
7 Ways to SAVE on Hot Water Costs
1. HWC Temperature
Take a gander at your hot-water cylinder and check that the temperature is set to 60°C. Depending on your cylinder, you may need a plumber to adjust your thermostat for you. Just 10°C higher on the thermostat of your hot water system could be costing you $25 a year with a modern cylinder, or twice that with an older one. If you are able to adjust the water temperature yourself, don’t be tempted to set it any lower than 60°C (to prevent the growth of legionella bacteria).
2. HWC Insulation
If your electric HWC was installed before 2002, it’s probably not very well insulated, which means you’re losing heat (and wasting power). Having a cylinder wrap installed (or doing it yourself) will save you a lot of money long term. If your hot water cylinder is particularly old, it may be worth having it replaced with a newer model. If in doubt, ask an expert.
3. Ban the Bath
Taking a bath generally uses double the hot water of a shower, so save it for a special occasion. Think sharing a bath will save on power? It will… but it’s never as comfortable or romantic in reality as it looks in the movies. It’s actually a bit grim when you consider that you’ll be stewing in shared filth. Showers win all round.
4. Water Flow vs Timing
There’s nothing better than a steaming hot shower on a frosty morning – especially if you have good shower pressure! If you like taking longer showers, consider replacing your showerhead for one with a more efficient flow rate, which will cut your hot water use significantly. In fact, switching from a 12 litre showerhead to a “low-flow” eight litre one will reduce your shower spend by a full third.
Can’t bear the thought of lower water pressure? Keep those showers shorter. In a household of three, each minute you add to your shower time costs around $80 a year.
5. Choose a Cold Wash
No, not for you – for your clothes! Unless you have some serious soiling going on, you probably only need to wash your clothes in cold water so make that your default from now on, OR opt for a front-loader that heats its own water, rather than pulling from the hot water cylinder. Families doing a few loads of laundry each week will can save almost $100 a year just by switching to cold washes.
6. Set Mixers to Cold
Most modern homes feature tap mixers rather than separate taps for hot and cold water. If this is the case in your home, make sure your mixer is set to the COLD position when you don’t need hot water. Flicking it on for hot water when you don’t need it is just a waste.
7. Doing Dishes Smarter
Most people know that your dishwasher is more energy efficient than washing dishes by hand – just remember to make sure each load is full before washing (to avoid wasting water), and if you need to rinse plates and bowls before they’re added, do so with cold water only.
Want to save even MORE on your hot water bill?
Solar hot water heaters use the sun’s free, unlimited energy – making them a fantastic option if you want long-term savings for a cost-effective initial outlay. In fact, a well-installed system should be able to deliver up to 75 percent of your hot water heating needs over the year.
Contact AquaPro!
Hey, guess what? The AquaPro team specialises in hot water cylinder maintenance, repairs and renovations, as well as solar hot water systems. Funny that! Give us a call for a quote or more advice on 0508 AQUAPRO, or contact us online.
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