Save energy (and money!) this Winter with our do’s and don'ts for in the home

Aussies often see a spike in energy consumption over the cooler months and with most of us still spending a lot of time in the home office, the industry is estimating residential energy consumption to be up between 15 -20% per cent this Winter.

We’ve prepared some handy tips on how to avoid bill shock and prepare your household for this Winter.

• Not using it right now? Best to turn it off, and we mean off, not just standby mode, flicking the switch on the wall. We're talking computers, gaming consoles, printers, TVs, etc. Standby power is a key source of hidden energy use that can amount to more than 10% of your household electricity consumption.

• The garage beer fridge, an essential item for the man cave… however, it’s most likely old and inefficient, chewing through enormous amounts of power. Don’t panic, you don’t need to get rid of it all together as we know how important it is to have cold beer at your fingertips, just relocate your goods into the kitchen fridge temporarily. The couple of extra steps to go inside means you’ve earned your beer even more!

• Under some energy contracts, energy can cost you less if you aim your usage outside of peak hours (usually after 10pm through to 7am) this means the power you’re consuming won’t be as expensive as it would during peak times, which for most households is a very effective way to reduce their energy bill.

• This one requires mad tetris skills or even just some future planning will suffice. Arrange your appliances to run efficiently and at optimum level. For example, keep your fridge away from warm spots (oven, cooktop) as the heat generated from these items will mean the fridge will need to work harder to stay cool. It’s always better to read the instructions on your appliances before you install them to ensure you are positioning them correctly from the start - saving you time and energy.

• Get your temperature settings right. Heaters are one of the biggest energy guzzlers in the home. Turning the thermostat too high can be a huge energy and financial drain, experts recommend keeping your heating between 17 - 19 degrees celsius (any degree above this will cost an extra 10% on your bill).

• Heat yourself up and not just your home. Don’t be afraid to rug up in a blanket and fluffy pair of slippers, or as my grandma would always tell me, dress in layers… even if it's lots of them.

• Hot water is most likely the second biggest source of energy in your home. Change your washing machine from a hot wash to cold wash. Your clothes will still come out clean in a cold wash (providing you put in washing detergent).

• Check the weather! We still get the odd sunny day so take advantage of it while you can and hang your clothes up outside instead of putting them in the dryer.

Make energy efficiency a part of everyday life. Get to know your daily energy consumption and work towards practicing good energy efficiency, to not only save money but to look after the environment.