5 Power Saving Tips To Help Slash Your Electricity Bill

There’s a lot of noise made in the media these days about the price of electricity in New Zealand; and for good reason to, as prices continue to climb. Whether there’s an abundance of rain to fill the hydro lakes, or declining consumption in the summer months, power retailers always seem to find ways to put your bills through the roof.

To help you reduce your utility bills we have put together this handy list of five power saving tips.

Change To Energy Efficient Light Bulbs

According to the government Energy Wise website, each conventional light bulb that you replace with a power saving model can save you up to $20 a year.  This means that if you replaced 10 light bubs in your house, you could potentially save $200! Energy saving bulbs also last longer, which means less maintenance and bigger savings.

Turn Off Appliances At The Wall

Here’s an eye opening experiment to show you just how much power you are wasting: Turn off all the lights in your house at night, and then go around and count how many “standby” lights you can see on appliances such as your TV, DVD player, games consoles, computers etc. All these devices on standby can add up to a serious power drain (and an equally serious strain on your wallet). Take the time to switch appliances off at the wall for the best power savings.

Dry Your Clothes Outside

Drying clothes in a tumble dryer can cost around $1 per load. So if you do a load every day of the year, you are probably spending around $365 annually, which is a large sum of money. Drying your clothes outside on a washing line costs nothing, and does a great job. If you need to dry clothes inside, then set up a clotheshorse in front of your heat pump.

Shop For Power Saving Appliances

Next time you need to buy a new appliance (especially ones that get a lot of use, such as washing machines or TVs) pay close attention to the energy star rating. Spending a few more dollars now on a more efficient appliance could add up to hundreds in savings over its lifetime. The EECA website features comprehensive information on buying energy efficient appliances.

Shop Around For The Best Power Deals

When it comes to cutting your energy bill, one of the best strategies is to shop around and find the cheapest power company for you. The Powerswitch website some handy resources to help you find the cheapest power options. You should also take a look at What’s My Number, which is a government-funded website with a handy tool that helps estimate how much money you could save by switching power companies.

Shopping around for power also helps keep retailers on their toes; if more of us got savvy and changed to cheaper power companies, then others would have to lower their prices in competition.

Use these power saving tips to help you reduce the cost of your monthly electricity bill. By taking steps to save power and reduce costs, you’ll free up more money to save or spend on other necessities.