10 tips for winter

With the release of information about the recommended electricity cost increase of 16% by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) it really is the time to reassess your electricity use. So, here are our 10 top tips to help with the winter power bills.

1 Use your curtains or blinds
By closing your curtains/ blinds and windows as the sun goes down will reduce the heat lose through your glass
Open the curtains/ blinds as the sun rises and use the sun to help heat your home.

2 Turn off appliances at the wall
Most appliances washing machine, dryers, Dish washers, TV, Stereos have a red light that indicates the power is active and or a clock that is usually the wrong time. This is all power use and there is always a little power leakage out of power cables by turning off the appliance you not only reduce the power used you also reduce the leakage of power from the cables:

3 Lighting
By opening your curtains/ blinds at sun up you reduce the use of lighting also if you are in and out of a room in a short period of time it is more economical to leave your light on for an hour then to switch it on and off 10 times in that hour.

4 Clothing – dress appropriately
As the weather cools start wearing socks or slippers in the evening and put on a cardigan or jumper.
Those ornamental throw rug that are draped beautifully over our lounge are actually very practical to help stay warm while watching TV in winter

5 Home accessories
The use of door snakes helps reduce and drafts in your home through external doors if you don’t own a door snake then an old towel rolled can suffice

6 Mains
If you are away for the week end or on school holidays turn off the power and lighting not used for security at the mains once again reducing the power seepage from the mains into the home. This can also be carried out nightly to selected areas. Be careful not to remove power from you fridge or security service.

7 Refrigerators
Vent behind your fridge. As most kitchens today surround their fridge with cabinets the fridge motor finds it hard to cool. By installing a ceiling snap vent at the rear of the fridge it gives the heat generated by the motor somewhere to escape. If your home is on bearers and joists a snap went in the floor at the rear of the fridge will create a drawing effect and cool the motor.

8 Gardens
In autumn prune trees or shrubbery on the northern aspect allowing winter sun to access your home.

9 Clothes dryers
During those unrelenting rainy weeks then washing is a night mare, purchase a clothes horse and while your clothes dryer dries the clothes in it the heat created in your laundry dries those laid out on the clothes horse

10 Heater placement
Place your heater in the centre of the room or on internal walls so as the radiant heat produced is not lost through windows or external walls.

Stay warm,
Debbie