Electricity costs the average household around $1,600 a year but there are some simple things that can be done to save lots of money.
As part of the "on the cheap" series, ONE News reporter Hadyn Jones took a look at simple ways to cut down the monthly power bill and found that it all starts in the bathroom.
Somewhere between 30% to 40% of a household's power bill is spent keeping hot water warm. If a cylinder is not in a well insulated cupboard it is "leaking" heat. Cylinder wraps can be purchased relatively cheaply and can pay for themselves in less than a year.
The usage of hot water is next on the list. An easy way to check if a shower is using too much water is to fill a bucket: if it fills it in less than a minute a low flow shower head should be considered.
The temperature of hot water is another consideration. The optimal temperature for hot water should be 55 degrees Celsius - an extra 10 degrees could cost about $140 a year.
Bathroom luxuries such as a heated towel rail can cost about $100 to run. The best way to cut down on that cost is to turn it off, or put a timer on it so comes on only when it is needed.
Right through the house, lighting can be a drain. Asides from switching off lights that are not being used, replacing just four standard lightbulbs with low-watt ecobulbs can save around $65 a year.
When it comes to heating, the humble fan heater may cost just $20 to buy but is the most expensive to run. In a larger room is may cost around $0.30 to $0.40 an hour to run whereas an oil heater can be more efficient.
And as far as other household appliances go, things like
computers, TVs and stereos can use up to 80% of power even when
they are in standby mode - so if they are not in use, turn them
off.
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