The gadgets that will save you hundreds on bills
Home bills are often the hardest to save money on simply because we can’t go without electricity and water. But there are plenty of energy-efficient gadgets on the market that will help you reduce the cost of utilities, maximise efficiency and live more environmentally friendly. Many of these products can be found at your local hardware store or click on the titles for our suggestions.
The energy bill is usually the households’ biggest one. It’s estimated that 10 per cent of the bill comes from electronics that are ‘off’ but still continue to draw power from the outlet. Think of your television, DVD players, microwaves, stereos and toasters that are ‘off’ but still plugged into the outlets. You can unplug all your unused appliances but this option is often inconvenient. A smart power strip will monitor power consumption and switch off appliances in standby mode, thereby stopping the idle current drawn from them.
In this sunburnt country of ours water is a very precious resource. A low-flow and high-efficiency showerhead will save money by reducing the amount of water that flows through the regular nozzle. The average showerhead uses around 20 litres of water a minute while the low-flow alternative uses 9 litres. Not only will you use less water but the cost of heating water will be cut as well.
If you have a host of devices that need batteries consider investing in a battery recharger. These will trim down costs quickly as you simply recharge the batteries and they’re good to go again.
Save money on heating and cooling by using a programmable thermostat. It will ensure your home is the temperature you want it to be, when you need it to be. Every one degree Celsius of unnecessary heating adds around 10 per cent to your heating bill and the reverse is true for the air conditioner. A programmable thermostat will automatically adjust the temp and turn it on and off so you aren’t wasting electricity and money.
The best way to cut down on energy bills is to keep tabs on your usage. This device will help you measure power consumption of any plug-in appliance, revealing which one of your appliances is draining you dry.