20 Ways To Reduce Your Electricity Bill In Queensland

Have you ever opened your electricity bill and had that sinking feeling? Living in Queensland, it’s easy to use a lot of electricity, particularly on cooling, which is why thanks to Origin Energy we have compiled the top 20 ways to save money on your energy bill. Lowering your energy consumption means not only more cash in your pocket, but also a reduced impact on our beautiful environment.

Top tips to save energy on heating and cooling

Queensland winters may be mild, but our summers are anything but! To beat the heat and humidity, many of us crank up the air conditioning, take a dip in the pool, or refresh in a cool shower. All of these activities use electricity, and according to Origin, Australian homes use 40 per cent of their energy on heating and cooling. The Origin Energy web site offers these energy saving tips:

1. Before reaching for the air conditioner remote, try cooling your house with fans. You can also close your curtains and shut your windows to prevent the sunlight from heating your home.
2. If the mercury is soaring, and you can’t resist the cool reprieve of air conditioning, don’t turn it lower than 24 degrees. According to Origin, every degree lower than 24 degrees could add about 5–10 percent to your unit’s energy consumption.
3. If you’re using a heating or cooling system in your home, make sure you’re only heating or cooling the area you’re working in. Have your gas-ducted heating system zoned, so that you can isolate the living areas or the bedrooms, rather than heating or cooling the whole house.

Top tips to save energy on hot water

Hot water also uses up a large percentage of your home’s energy – around 25 per cent according to Origin – and is also the largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions in the average home. The good news is, there are some simple ways that you can reduce the amount of hot water you use:

4. Stick to short, four-minute showers. You’ll save water, energy and money.
5. Switch from a standard shower head to a 3-star rated head. You could reduce your hot water by half.
6. Leave your mixer tap in the cold position, so hot water isn’t wasted cooling in the pipe.

Top tips to save energy on appliances

Origin says that hot water units, air conditioners and clothes dryers are the three most expensive appliances to use. When you are about to use an appliance, it’s good to ask yourself whether there is a lower energy option you could be using? Here’s some more tips, summarised from the Origin web site, for saving electricity on your appliances:

7. Dry your clothes on the line as there is no shortage of sun in Queensland!
8. If you have a second fridge, only turn it on when it’s needed and set the fridge’s temperature to between 3 degrees and 5 degrees. For freezers, set them between -15 degrees and -18 degrees. If they are set any lower than that and you will be using around 5 per cent more energy.
9. Check if your fridge door is sealed properly by placing a strip of paper between the door and the fridge. If the paper can be pulled out easily, it might be time for a new seal.
10. Turn off small appliances, such as kettles and toasters, when you’re not using them.
11. Try and do your ironing in large batches – that way you won’t waste energy heating and reheating your iron each time.
12. Modern dishwashers use half the energy, and one sixth of the water, compared to hand washing, according to a German university study. Just make sure the dishwasher is full before you put a load on.

Top tips to save energy in swimming pools

If you look at most areas in Queensland on google maps, you will be awestruck at the number of in-ground pools! Queenslanders love the water, but Origin says that an in-ground pool can use as much as 30 per cent of your home’s electricity bill. Try these energy saving tips (or consider getting a reliable solar power system <link to other article once published>):

13. Check to see if your pool can be connected to an off peak meter tariff.
14. Install a timer to turn the pool filter on and off automatically.
15. Cut the time you use the pool pump from eight hours to four hours a day during the Spring and Autumn months.
16. Install a pool cover. Up to 200 litres of water per day can be lost through evaporation and by using a cover you can reduce water waste by up to 80 percent.
17. Replace your pool lights with energy efficient (LED) products.

Top tips to save energy on home lighting

The following two tips may sound like common sense, but it’s a good reminder to us all!

18. Use solar lights to light up your garden pathways.
19. Lights out! Turn off all non-essential lights in the house.

A final energy saving tip

There’s plenty more useful tips for saving energy on the Origin Energy web site. Here’s one final tip, to remember when out shopping:

20. Whenever you make a new purchase – whether it’s a light bulb or a shiny new appliance, be sure to choose one that is energy efficient and offers a standby power option.

How do you save on your electricity bill? We’d love to hear your tips!