Winter is often the most energy-intensive season of the year. Even in Brisbane where winters are mild, heating your home can put a huge dent in your energy bills. Heating a space consumes lots of energy. In fact, most heaters consume more energy than running your air conditioners in summer. Add to that shorter days, less sunlight and more time spent at home, and it’s easy to see why winter power bills get out of hand.
If you’d like to keep your energy use under control, we’ve got 10 energy saving tips to reduce your power consumption while staying warm this winter!
1. Get Rugged Up
This should always be your first port of call during winter! If you live in Brisbane then chances are that your winter wardrobe looks a little bare, but adding blankets or layers of clothing is far more efficient than trying to heat your entire home.
2. Keep Showers Short
We know that a hot shower feels amazing on a winter’s morning, but avoid using your shower to warm up. Hot water usage accounts for about 21% of household energy use, so the less hot water you consume, the smaller your power bill. Instead, take shorter showers and use blankets or extra layers to get warm.
3. Use Ceiling Fans on Winter Mode
Most ceiling fans come with a switch that activates “winter mode.” Winter mode simply reverses the blades, causing them to draw air up and away from the room and circulate it with the warm air close to the ceiling.
4. Only Heat the Rooms You’re Using
Avoid heating the whole house or the largest living areas whenever possible. Instead, use heaters and air conditioners to warm up small spaces - like your bedroom or home office - and shut the doors to rooms that aren’t being used.
5. Close the Curtains At Night
Single-glazed windows can account for 40% of your warmth loss during winter. Curtains are the fix! Closing the curtains creates an insulated area around the window pane that minimises heat loss. During the day it’s a good idea to keep your curtains open and let in the sunlight and warmth, but shut them in the afternoon as temperatures start to drop.
6. Invest in an Energy Efficient Heating System
Electric heaters can be some of the most power-hungry devices in the home. For homes in Brisbane, reverse cycle air conditioners typically provide more than enough heating power to keep you warm all winter. Plus, modern reverse cycle air conditioners are extremely energy efficient - about 3 times more efficient than space heaters.
7. Set the Thermostat to 20C
Control the amount of power your heating system is using by setting the thermostat to 18-20C during the day. It’s also a good idea to use the programmable functions of modern thermostats to automatically adjust the temperature throughout the day. Set your smart thermostat to 20C during the day, and then program it to switch off or turn down at night while you’re under the covers.
8. Switch to Energy Saving Lights
Shorter daylight hours means we run our lights for longer during winter. The extra power consumption adds up quickly! Winter is one of the best times of the year to make the switch to energy saving LED lights. LEDs use around 85% less energy than incandescent bulbs, so installing LED lights can have a huge impact on your power bill.
9. Have Your Air Conditioner Serviced
Most of the homes in Brisbane don’t have much call to install purpose-built heating systems. Instead, lots of us rely on reverse cycle air conditioners to heat our homes. Having your reverse cycle air conditioner serviced once per year makes it more effective, keeps it in good condition and goes a long way to getting your power bills under control.
10. Control Those Draughts
Draughts are one of the biggest sources of heat loss in winter. A good project for all homeowners is to spend time chasing down the air leaks that let out their precious heat. Window and door weather seals, draught-proofing strips and door snakes are all simple and affordable ways to control draughts and stop heat from escaping.
Ready to Reduce Your Electricity Bill? Contact Dawson Electric Today!
Staying warm in winter doesn’t have to be a challenge, and it can be done without driving your power bill through the roof. By making a few simple changes, you can control your power-consumption, stay toasty warm and enjoy Brisbane’s colder months. If you need help reducing your energy bill then get in touch with Dawson Electric! Our team of licensed electricians is available all over Brisbane. We can help you save power with everything from air conditioning installation to LED lights, electrical upgrades and more. We’ll work with you to find the best energy saving solutions for your home using the reliable products we trust. To find out more about our services you can contact us at any time!