Keen to save around the home? Get more value out of your everyday with these tips.
There are a lot of ways to be energy efficient and cut down on your energy usage. Not only could you save more on your energy bills (always a good thing), but you can help do your bit to reduce your carbon footprint. We recently spoke to some of our customers to get their top tips on how they’re saving money and energy each day. The best thing? They’re all simple and you can get started right now.
This is an excellent way to determine how much energy you’re using around the home, and where you can save. AGL customer Kerin arranged an assessment through her local council, where an auditor came to her house and outlined personalised ways to change her energy usage. While some audits may charge a fee on the front-end, you might see savings on the back end.
“Four pieces of paper, saving thousands of dollars,” she says, flicking through the document showing what she could save over time. “There are over 100 checkpoints in here, including gas, electricity, water, gardening, transport and many more. Get onto it!”
Looking for something a little quicker? Our Energy Coach tool can help. It’s an online quiz that asks a few questions about how you use energy to provide personalised energy savings tips based on the information you provide about your home and only takes a few minutes.
Incandescent and halogen light bulbs, while cheaper to buy upfront, use around 75% more energy than an LED light bulb, which may lead to a much larger power bill. Some Australian states and territories offer government schemes to replace your old bulbs with energy-efficient LEDs for free, so check with your local council.
Another thing to remember – switch off the lights when you leave a room. Lighting contributes to around 10% of the average household electricity budget. One AGL customer suggests popping signs near light switches, so everyone in the household makes a conscious effort to turn them off.
Keen to update your wardrobe? Anna suggests checking out your local op shop, rather than shopping online or at department stores.
“Not only do they have an amazing array of quality pre-loved clothing, but you can save a lot of money compared to shopping retail,” Anna explains.
Or better yet, wear what you already have as that’s an environmentally friendly thing to do.
Sealing up cracks in the walls, around windows and doors can be an easy and effective way to save on your energy usage. This will help prevent cool air from coming in, and warm air from escaping.
Another tip from one of our customers suggests ‘investing in a door snake to stop draughts coming in under the doors.’
Appliances that aren’t in use but are plugged into the wall still consume energy, so a great habit to get into is switching things off like your TV, computer and microwave at the powerpoint.
Trudy noticed she was spending more on her AGL energy bills when she started working from home last year, so she makes an effort to unplug appliances at the wall before she goes to bed. So far, this small act is saving Trudy and her family around $50 each quarter. With some similar small changes, you could save more around the home.
Smart plugs will also help prevent power waste. You can set the plugs to turn off at a certain time, so appliances won’t be using up unnecessary standby electricity.
Your washing could probably be a little more environmentally friendly too. You could use the ‘eco’ setting on your machine or do your laundry in cold water. 90% of a washing machine’s energy use goes towards heating the water, so eco modes that use cooler water use less energy and could save you more too.
If the sun’s out, skip the dryer and hang your clothes outside instead. AGL customer Joshua pops his freshly washed shirts directly on a coat hanger and onto the clothesline. “Once it’s dry, it just goes straight into the cupboard and I don’t have to iron,” he says.
By popular vote, our customers told us we could be more efficient when making a cuppa. ‘When you’re filling up the kettle for your morning cuppa, only boil the amount you need (there’s no need to fill it right to the top). Adding just a cup or so of water will use less energy and will boil much more quickly.’
Boiled more water than you need? Pour the rest into the sink with a bit of detergent and wash your dishes.
If your home can house panels, solar energy is a great way to harness and use natural, renewable energy rather than fossil fuels to power your home. Attaching a battery can even store that energy for the evenings when the sun isn’t shining.
Ben, an AGL customer who’s been working from home throughout the pandemic, now has more time to monitor how much power is generated by his roof solar panels via an app on his smartwatch. “When I see that we’ve got energy in the tank, we can plug the car in (an EV) and charge it from the sun,” he says.
If you’re in the market for a new fridge, dishwasher or washing machine, shop around for energy-efficient models. Even if you’re paying a little more for that new energy-efficient dishwasher or TV, it might cost less to run than one that’s less energy-efficient (some states and territories even offer rebates and assistance). Find out how to understand appliance energy ratings better to help you buy a more energy-efficient model.
Installing a reverse-cycle air conditioner is both a cost- and energy-efficient way to heat and cool your home. By installing a split-system unit in your home’s main areas, such as a lounge or dining room and bedroom, you’re able to heat or cool the rooms you’re using, rather than the entire house.
In winter, set your heat temperature between 18-20 degrees, while your summer cooling should be set between 25-27 degrees. Each degree you increase heating or cooling can add up to 10% to your energy usage.
Got a gas heater? Make sure you schedule regular services to clear out the filters. This will ensure your heater is running efficiently and is less likely to die on you when you really need it in winter.
Or get that body temp up as one AGL customer suggests with dancing, “It not only keeps my wife and I warm, but it’s also helped us learn how to salsa!”
What ways do you save at home? Send us your best saving tip to AGLDiscover@agl.com.au.
AGL's Peak Energy Rewards program could reward you with bill credits for reducing your home energy use during peak times.
