The holiday season is almost here which means fun, family and social events galore. While we all love the good times the holidays bring, what we don’t love so much is the hefty burden it can put on our wallets! Between all the dinners and parties, gifts, decorations and having guests to stay, the strain on your household finances can get seriously out of control. Finding ways to reduce your energy costs over Christmas can make a huge difference – not to mention for the year to come.
Here are some handy tips to help you lower your electricity costs over Christmas
Switch off and unplug:
Did you know your phone charger is still using energy even when your phone is not attached? And what about that laptop you leave ‘sleeping’ for days at a time? Up to 10% of your home’s electricity usage is caused by appliances that are on standby. Instead of leaving all your gadgets plugged in, unplug them from the wall when not in use.
Christmas special: Using a timer for your Christmas lights is always a great way to reduce your energy usage – there’s no need for those twinkling lights to be on show when there’s nobody around to see them!
Smarter ways to stay cool:
As local northern beaches electricians, we know that keeping your home cool over summer can be one of your biggest household costs. While running an air-conditioner full blast will keep the house feeling more comfortable, it will cost you a fortune when the energy bill arrives, and isn’t very environmentally friendly. Using your aircon more efficiently is a great way to reduce costs over Christmas. Protect your home from the start by keeping the windows and blinds closed on hot days, and use the aircon early – before the indoor temperature gets too high. Ceiling fans are another fantastic was to make your aircon more effective – turn your aircon on for an hour or so at a time, and let the ceiling fan circulate that cool air throughout your home.
Chill it right:
Because we need to keep our fridges running at all times, they are one of our home’s most expensive appliances. Keep your fridge operating as efficiently as possible by making sure the door seal is tight and free from gaps so cold air can’t escape. If you have a second fridge or freezer, only turn it on when you need it. The way you stack your fridge also plays an important role in how effective it is at keeping your food and beverages chilled.
Christmas special: Consider your Esky over the summer for beverages to prevent the revolving door effect on your fridge. Be sure to store it out of direct sunlight to lengthen the lifespan of the ice!
Clever cooking:
Thaw frozen foods in your fridge to reduce cooking time, and use your microwave to cook things when you can – it uses much less power than an electric stove. To reduce your expenses over Christmas, plan your cooking so that once your oven is hot, you can cook several things back to back, rather than letting it cool down only to heat it up again. You can also use a slow cooker or your BBQ when suitable to reduce the electricity you are using.
Save energy with your day-to-day chores:
There are plenty of ways we can make our daily chores more energy efficient to keep electricity costs down over Christmas. Make sure you’re only using cold water to wash your clothes, and only wash when you have a full load (we know there’ll be plenty). Use the economy cycle on your dishwasher, and avoid doing half loads when you can. We know that during this busy period it can be tempting to use your clothes dryer, but by simply taking the time to peg your clothes out instead you’ll be saving a considerable amount of electricity – and it’s better for your clothes and the environment, too – the wallet trifecta!
We know this time of year can be expensive, and a lot of the costs are unavoidable. But with some clever electricity saving tricks, you can at least avoid having to deal with those massive power bills in the weeks that follow. If you’re interested in finding out more about how we can help make your home energy efficient, give the team at Electric Express a call today.