Winter is Here – Keep Your Energy Bills Low With These Eight Tips

The cold shoulders of the winter often leave most of us indoors.

Unfortunately, spending tons of time at home requires ensuring your home remains at comfortable temperatures that result in high power bills.

It may be best to re-evaluate your household’s energy efficiency. Start by determining your energy consumption to figure out how to minimise your electrical costs.

These changes can go a long way and help you save money.

This article covers 8 tips to keep your energy bill lower during winter, including making the best of your solar panel installation.

What’s Your Energy Usage?

How much does your household utilise? Understanding your current energy usage is the first step in minimising it.

Then take it a little further by determining the part of your home that consumes maximum energy.

Like most Australian homes, your heating and cooling needs may make up 40% of your consumption, appliances: 33%, water heating: 21%, and lighting: 6%.

While these figures are rough estimates, heating and cooling impact your energy bill the most, followed by appliances and water heating.

When you make some adjustments to these three areas, it can significantly lower energy costs.

Tips To Keep Your Power Bill On A Low

1. Channel heating efforts to the most utilised rooms

Heating unused areas wastes a lot of energy. Some rooms are rarely used during winter; determine which ones they are and keep their doors closed unless necessary.

Then, provide heat only to the needed rooms to lower the heating costs significantly without interfering with your comfort.

2. Maximise your heat pump’s efficiency

The heat pump works best between 18 to 20 degrees Celsius.

The notion is that blasting high-temperature heat in a cold room heats the room faster. This is not true and, in fact, spikes your energy use drastically.

You can get economically friendly results by using the timer function on the heat pump to preheat the space for at least 15 minutes before inhabiting the room.

You can set it to turn off automatically when no longer needed.

3. Optimise heat retention

Opening your windows during the day allows winter sunlight to heat the home.

But after sundown, these windows can also let about 40% of the warmth escape.

Thus, closing your curtains as soon as the sun vanishes can make a big difference in retaining as much heat as possible.

Also, draught-proofing your home is an excellent way of keeping it warm.

Weather strips block off gaps under external doors, and make sure the seals around the windows are sound.

Draught excluders offer a temporary solution for the interior doors.

4. Opt for free clothes drying

Clothes dryers are a quick and convenient means of drying your garments. Unfortunately, its use doesn’t come cheap and consumes energy. Instead of using the power-consuming dryer, why not hang your clothes outside on a clear winter day?

If you have no access to outdoor lines, another option is to hang your clothes in an area situated in a sunny window.

5. Get a water-saving showerhead

Water heating takes up 21% of your home’s energy use. Making some changes can positively affect the overall energy costs. Changing your current showerhead model to an energy-efficient one is a great start. It comes with two benefits: saving water and lowering water heating costs.

6. Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs

In the winter, artificial lighting is often the only solution for illuminating our homes. Switching to energy-efficient LED light bulbs saves you money on energy and replacement costs.

These lighting systems provide the same amount of light for less money and help reduce your carbon footprint.

It’s ideal for those looking to contribute positively to the environment while taking charge of their energy spending.

LEDs utilise up to 75% less energy and can last five to ten times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs.

7. A MaxBreeze solar roof fan is better than mechanical whirly-bird roof fans

Whirly-bird roof fans are no match for contemporary solutions. These traditional fans suck the air out of the roof cavity when the wind blows.

During windy and cold winter days, heating attempts to keep the house warm and comfortable.

Unfortunately, the whirlybird will turn in the wind, sucking the warm air out of the house and roof.

This overworks your heater, increasing the heating costs.

The MaxBreeze solar fan is an enhanced version of the old whirly lousy fan. It is controlled by the thermostat and solar-powered like solar panels.

During sunny, cold winter days, they can only start operating once the roof temperature is approximately 37 degrees Celsius.

This assists in preserving warmth. Yet, cooling the home also comes in handy in the summer.

8. Create the best value with your solar system

Homes with solar panels Australia are better advantaged at relishing energy-saving perks. A solar panel system generates power using the winter’s free sun.

Other benefits of solar panels include:

· Boosting your property’s value.

· Reducing energy bills.

· Enjoying energy independence.

· Reducing your carbon footprint.

However, for optimum results from your winter solar, you should consider various factors.

First, solar energy is produced during the daytime; therefore, running your appliances during the day is best.

Secondly, high-energy appliances like the dishwasher and washing machine should operate at different times.

Scheduling their operation for daytime is advisable. Thirdly, charge your electrical devices throughout the day when energy generation is highest.

Last but not least, switch to energy-efficient appliances if possible, and shut down any machines that are not in use.

Most essentially, ensure you have an ideal system for your energy needs, with options including the standard 6.6KW system, perfect for average households.

Or opt for the more extensive 12v solar panel system. Also, remember that you can increase solar panel efficiency with various maintenance strategies like solar panel cleaning.

Always watch out for obstructions like overgrowing trees.

Conclusion

Are you looking for more energy-saving tips this winter?

Reputable solar experts can provide custom tips that could make a real difference to your energy bottom line and keep your energy costs to the bare minimum.

They also offer high-quality solar battery storage options like the Tesla Powerwall Home Battery System, so you can save energy for use when production is low.

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