How to Save Money on Your Utility Bills

Get a handle on your utilities. Here are some useful tips to reduce energy use and slash the costs of your electricity, gas and water bill.

• Call your electricity provider and see what specials they can give you. Do the same for natural gas. If you find a better utility service, contact your current provider and see if they will match it or do better. If they can’t, then check any fees that would apply if you leave.
• Unplug or switch your appliances off at the wall at night or when you’re not using them. Electrical appliances draw in a certain amount of power when they’re on standby which you end up paying for, even if you’re not aware of it.
• Check the energy rating when you’re buying a new appliance such as a fridge, TV, washing machine or dishwasher. This will help you find the most efficient products and save you money in the long run.
• If possible, use an electric frypan, toaster oven, pressure cooker or microwave oven as an alternative to traditional electric ovens—they use a lot less energy. 
• Thaw out meat and other frozen meals overnight. Don’t use the thaw function on the microwave.
• Keep a lid on your pot when cooking. Not only does food cook faster, but this also reduces the amount of time and energy used.
• Set the temperature of your fridge to between 3 and 5°C, and your freezer to -15 to -18°C. A change of one degree can impact energy consumption by up to five per cent. Don’t leave the fridge door open longer than needed. 
• Use a piece of paper to check your fridge seal is airtight. If the paper slips out from between the seal and the door, you could be losing a lot of cold. Replace the seals to prevent wasting energy.
• Cover liquids and wrap up foods that are stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the fridge compressor work harder to cool the air.
• Turn off second fridges and freezers when they aren’t needed.
• Put computers or laptops on sleep mode when they’re not in use, instead of leaving on. 
• Charge your smartphone away from your home as much as possible. Plug it in at work or at the library.
• Switch to energy-efficient light globes such as LEDs as an alternative to general lighting and avoid halogen downlights. 
• Turn off lights that you’re not using. Get into the habit of switching off lights as you leave a room.
• Reduce your use of heating during the winter. Instead, put on additional layers of clothing.
• Reduce your use of air conditioning in the summer if that’s possible. Instead, open windows to get a breeze (if there is one) or use fans which use a lot less energy. On a hot day, close your blinds or draw the curtains to keep the heat out. If you do have to use airconditioning, only use it one room and keep doors closed.
• Keep the heat inside during winter and the hot air out in summer by sealing up any gaps and cracks in external walls, floors and ceiling. Use draught stoppers or ‘door snakes’ at the bottom and weather stripping around the frames. 
• Upgrade your applicants to be energy-savings. Check the energy rating on the appliance before purchase.
• Save money on your water and heating bill by having shorter showers (less than 5 minutes). Not only does it reduce the cost of heating but also you pay less in water usage.
• Set the hot water temperature to 50 degrees Celcius.
• Invest in water-saving showerheads to lessen your water usage.
• Use less water when you flush your toilet by using the half flush.
• Only run the washing machine on full load. Or if your machine has a load adjustment, adjust it to use the optimal amount of water and power.
• Use cold water to wash your clothes. Today’s laundry detergents work well using cold temperatures.
• Minimise use of your clothes dryer. Instead, use outside clotheslines or indoor drying racks.
• See if you qualify for the New South Wales Family Energy Rebate. The Family Energy Rebate (FER) helps NSW family households with dependent children to cover the costs of their energy bills. The FER is available to applicants who were eligible for and received the Family Tax Benefit (FTB) from the Department of Human Services (DHS) in the previous financial year. There are also other rebates and grants available in other Australian states. Visit the Australian Government Energy website for more details.