10 clever ways reduce bills in cooler months
Electricity bills seem to be too high, even at the best of times. And they can often peak in the cooler months, as we use more appliances to warm ourselves up.
But this needn’t necessarily be the case.
We’re going to take a look at 10 clever ways to reduce bills in the cooler months. Follow these tips and you’ll be able to avoid any nasty surprises in the mail!
1. Check the temperature of your fridge and freezer
Of course we need to keep our perishables chilled, but there’s no reason to have our appliances putting in overtime. Try to keep your fridge between 2°C and 6°C, and your freezer between -11°C and -23°C. Any cooler and you’re just wasting electricity.
2. Use candles in the bathroom
A few strategically-placed candles can reduce the need for bathroom lighting during the evening, with the added bonus of masking any unpleasant odours.
3. Do your washing on a cold setting
Depending on your machine, warm wash settings can use up to 90 per cent more electricity than their cold wash counterparts, so switch to a cold wash setting.
4. Turn off the lights when you’re leaving a room
This one may seem like a little bit of a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised to know how many people still leave their lights on when they’re not in the room.
5. Dress in layers
When the temperature drops your first instinct might be to reach for the nearest bar heaters or adjust the thermostat. But, if you think about it, dressing in layers and wrapping yourself snugly in a blanket can be just as effective (and it won’t cost you a cent!).
6. Use the sun to your advantage
It might be freezing cold outside, but the sun’s rays can still be used to bring some heat to your home. If you’ve got a side of the house that sees the sunlight during the day, make sure you take advantage of it by keeping your curtains open.
7. Seal up any leaks or cracks
While they might seem tiny, the cumulative effect of the small leaks in your home is equivalent to leaving a window open all year. Simply pop down to your local hardware store, get an inexpensive expanding foam or caulk and seal up the cracks.
8. Tiny portable heaters
When it comes to heating your home bigger isn’t necessarily better. Instead of using a power draining reverse cycle air conditioner or heating system, consider using a smaller, portable heater and only using it when you really need it.
9. Shut the doors to unoccupied rooms
Keeping the doors to unoccupied rooms shut can help trap heat in these rooms, and avoid it dissipating due to the effect of the cooler hallway.
10. Powerpoint outlet timers
Many of these products have automatic settings that turn appliances off after a certain internal which can be a great way to save on electricity.
Do you have any tips for cutting down on power bills in the cooler months? Have you tried any of those that we mentioned in the article?
Let us know in the comments.
Related links:
4 reasons your mobile phone bill is too large
8 items you should stop paying for today