Most modern households in Australia today are well-equipped with modern, energy-saving electric appliances. However, each family consumes a different amount of energy per year, based on various factors, including household size, location, number of residents and energy habits. On average, an Australian house consumes 18 KiloWatt(KW) per day or 6570 KW per hour worth of electricity every day; in financial terms, this is almost around $2,500 a year.
According to the Australian Govt site, an average Australian household is the biggest source of most annual electricity consumption solely for cooling and heating purposes.
This implies that you may need to tweak your electric devices to reduce your electricity bill and energy consumption in check. Here is a list of energy and money-saving tips you can follow as a responsible resident to achieve a higher level of thermal energy efficiency with the minimum artificial heating and cooling needed for comfortable, sustainable living.
Save Electricity in the Household
1. Do an energy audit:
You can take assistance from local utility providers and conduct a home energy audit to identify more efficient ways to reduce energy consumption.
2. Use reflective roofing materials:
you can use white paint materials for your reflection, keeping your home cooler during summer.
3. Install a programmable smart thermostat:
With a programmable thermostat, you can automatically reduce or turn off heating and cooling whenever you want, improving your heating and cooling system efficiency without upgrading the HVAC system.
4. Invest in solar panels for your home:
You can switch to solar panels- a sustainable and renewable energy solution with lower energy consumptions and monthly utility bills.
5. Check your geyser’s thermostat:
Once you make sure the hot water pipers and geyser are well insulated with fibreglass or newspaper, set your electrical geyser’s thermostat at 55 ° C to 60 ° C.
6. Buy 6-star energy rated appliances:
In most cases, keeping old electric devices at home are solely responsible for guzzling down electricity, as well as the utility bills. So do your research and make smart electronics purchases with the help of 6-star energy rating standards.
7. Unplug electronics while not in use:
Even when you turn off the electric connection, keeping electronics plugged in bleeds some energy in idle or standby power mode, known as “vampire” or “phantom electricity”. So make sure you keep the devices unplugged once you’re done using them.
8. Use smart power strips and surges:
Keeping electronic devices plugged out to reduce “phantom loads” or standby power might not be very convenient. In that case, you can use smart power strips and advanced power surges by diverting and reducing the energy of multiple devices at a time. You can also control and turn off smart power strips (commonly known as APS) at an assigned time through remote switches.
9. Weather strip doors and windows leakage:
Check your door and windows regularly for openings, leaks, or broken seals. Consider weather stripping to keep hot air from getting out and cold air from coming in.
10. Change your AC air filters often:
Changing or cleaning air conditioner filters regularly and leaving the vents open not only maximises airflow up but also reduces electricity consumption and improves your HVAC system’s efficiency.
11. Insulate the walls and hot water pipes:
Fully insulated walls encourage heat retention. So make sure you’re fully insulating the gaps or cavities around the walls, including the skirting boards and floor. Hot water pipes prevent water wastage and let water become hot quickly.
Save Energy on Lighting
1. Choose energy-saving night lights:
Consider replacing Replace incandescent night lights with plug-in LED night light panels that include dimmers, timers or photoelectric sensors.
2. Switch to energy-saving LED lights:
Energy-efficient LED lighting fixtures can help you save up to 80% of your home lighting costs with more longevity than conventional lights.
3. Use outdoor solar lighting:
Replace the outdoor lighting fixtures with motion sensor solar lamps instead of having your outdoor lights run on electricity.
4. Use automatic timers and dimmers:
Automatic timers and dimmers help regulate electric light usage by turning off or switching off lighting sources at previously set times and modulating the lighting source’s brightness.
Save Energy in the Kitchen
1. Increase defrosting time:
Consider defrosting frozen food in the refrigerator overnight or an extended time in advance. Defrosting food essentially halves the cooking time and helps you save energy on the stove or microwave.
2. Keep refrigerator coils clean:
As the longest power running appliance in your house, your refrigerator can suck up a lot of energy, between 201 kWh to 500 kWh per year. Dirty coils are partially responsible as fridges don’t cool off quickly if the condenser coils are dirty. You can reduce electricity consumption and improve the longevity of your refrigeration by simply keeping the refrigerator coils clean.
3. Make more use of the microwave:
Microwave ovens tend to use way less electricity than an electric stove or oven without heating the kitchen. Consider substituting the microwave for the oven or stove whenever possible.
4. Keep your refrigerator full:
Did you know that keeping your refrigerator and freezer full can help you conserve electricity? Food can act as insulation and allow the fridge to stay cool for a longer time by reducing the electricity usage time.
Bonus: Read a blog post on ways to get the best-looking kitchen with the best kitchen styles
Save Energy on Laundry
1. Wash laundry with cold water:
Many studies have found that washing laundry in cold water instead of hot water can surprisingly save electricity. Clothing is also less likely to wrinkle, fade or shrink with cold water washing.
2. Wash full loads:
Washing appliances like dishwashers and washing machines drain a lot of electricity. So instead of using them frequently, wait till you have full loads so you can wash all the laundry and dishes at a time and save both time-electricity at a time.
3. Air dry your clothes:
Instead of tumble-drying the laundry, let the clothes dry naturally when the weather is dry, warm and windy.
Final Words
When it comes to saving electricity and utility bills in the household, a set of strategic, well-versed practices go a long way in cutting over-consumption of energy, and a 6-star energy rating can potentially help you increase your home’s energy efficiency. A 6-star energy rating assessment will reflect on the best household energy-conserving practices with a minimum to zero additional construction cost, only a healthy-harmonious living.
