AGL has published a comprehensive guide to saving energy around the home as research¹ shows that heating and cooling represents up to 40 percent of a typical Australian household electricity bill.

Chief Customer Officer Melissa Reynolds said the AGL Home Energy Efficiency Guide could help customers stay warm and on track with their budget over winter – a time when electricity use increases significantly across Australia’s southern states.

“We want our customers to keep comfortable this winter without them seeing an impact on their gas and electricity costs, so to help we’ve compiled a substantial set of practical, effective energy saving tips,” Ms Reynolds said.

“The best thing to do before the temperature starts to plunge is to spend a little time preparing your home for the colder months.

“You’ll be surprised how keeping your energy costs under control can be as simple as:

• Opening blinds and curtains on the north, east and west sides in the morning to let the sun in and closing them at night for insulation
• Setting the heating thermostat on your air conditioner between 18-20°C, and if it has a timer, setting it to activate when people are home
• Blocking drafts by sealing gaps in walls, floors and ceilings and covering gaps under doors and windows
• Closing vents and turning off heating in unused rooms including the laundry and bathrooms
• Shutting chimney ventilation outlets, flues and ducts when you’re not using them
• Insulating your home to make it warmer in winter and cooler in summer
• Installing a low-flow showerhead, to help reduce hot water use and water heating
• Running ceiling fans on their lowest setting to push warm air down
• Minimising the use of inefficient portable electric heaters, unless you need to heat a small space for a short time
• Using rugs and carpets on slab floors to retain heat.”

Ms Reynolds said another way to conserve energy all year round was to turn appliances off at the wall.

“Research suggests 10 percent of energy used in the home is unnecessarily wasted by appliances left on standby, which ultimately costs Australians more than $1.1 billion per year,” she said.

“With our new service, AGL Energy Insights, eligible Victorian customers² with digital meters can receive appliance usage breakdowns each month for different high-consumption categories in their home, including heating, cooling, lighting, as well as standby.

“As just one of the innovations we’ve introduced to make energy more transparent, AGL Energy Insights gives our customers a deeper understanding of how they use electricity around the home, and that can lead to greater control over their energy costs.”

AGL is committed to helping shape a sustainable energy future for Australia. We operate the country’s largest electricity generation portfolio, we’re its largest ASX-listed investor in renewable energy, and we have more than 3.6 million customer accounts. Proudly Australian, with more than 180 years of experience, we have a responsibility to provide sustainable, secure and affordable energy for our customers. Our aim is to prosper in a carbon-constrained world and build customer advocacy as our industry transforms. That’s why we have committed to exiting our coal-fired generation by 2050 and why we will continue to develop innovative solutions for our customers.

¹ AGL Home Energy Efficiency Guide – typical household energy use by application
² AGL Energy Insights is a service currently provided to Victorian residential, non-solar, electricity customers who are on e-billing, with a digital meter and greater than six months tenure with AGL.