Hot summer days can be hard for those wanting to be energy and cost efficient, as the largest portion of your energy bill comes from your A/C and other high energy using appliances.
Here are some tips to reduce your energy usage, therefore reduce the cost of your energy bills:
Checking your air conditioner:
You may not realise, but your air conditioner may not be performing at its optimum efficiency if you have not had a service done over the years. Filters, coils, and fins require regular maintenance for the unit to effectively work, so if neglecting this, more energy may be required to cool your house during warmer weather.
You can also set your air-conditioner to 'dry' mode This can virtually halve the cost of running your air-conditioning while still pulling out enough humidity to keep your home comfortable
You can also service your air-conditioner yourself by vacuuming air vents and replacing air filters so that you're A/C runs smoothly. It is recommended to do this every couple months, or more often depending on how quick it gets congested with dust and other debris.
Opt for Energy Efficient Appliances
If you're buying new appliances, look for high star rating energy-efficient appliances. This may cost more initially but will work out cheaper over time. For instance, a flat-screen TV with a high star rating can cost $60 a year to run, compared with $148 for a TV with a three-star rating.
Switch-off Standby Power Appliances and Reduce the use of 'Heat generating appliances'
Gaming consoles and wireless modem are nasty users of power, even when they are left on standby. Australians spend $860 million on standby power annually. To put that in perspective, that's roughly $100 per household each year.
You should also avoid using your oven, dryer and utilise cold water to do your washing as these appliances generate a lot of heat and energy usage.
It is a good idea to turn appliances off at the power outlet when not in use, and this will cut your energy bill by up to 10% just by doing so.
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