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Life’s busy and it’s not always easy to find time to identify where you could be saving on your energy use. We’ve done the work for you and put together some simple ways to reduce your energy use around your home.
Heating and cooling
(typically comprises about 40% of average household energy use)
- Where possible, set to no more than 18-20°C for heating (remember the saying, 20 is plenty) and no less than 25-26°C for cooling
- Dress for the temperature
- Only heat or cool the rooms you need – close doors to unused rooms and use zoned heating or cooling if possible
- Try a fan before switching on the air-conditioning in summer, and use ceiling fans in reverse in winter
- Ensure heating and cooling systems are regularly cleaned and serviced in accordance with the manufacturer's guidelines
if possible, ensure that at least your ceiling is insulated
Stop air leaks
(typically comprises about 40% of average household energy use)
- Use sealing strips and door snakes to stop air leaks around doors and windows
- Locate and seal any gaps in floors, walls, chimneys, vents and ceilings
- Choose close-fitting curtains and blinds to keep heat in or out
Water heating
(typically comprises around 23% of average household energy use)
- Check for any leaking taps, especially hot water taps
- Take shorter showers where practicable
- Install water-efficient shower heads
Laundry and entertainment appliances
(typically comprises around 17% of average household energy use including stand-by power)
- Wash in cold water, spin thoroughly and dry clothes on a rack or outside instead of using the clothes dryer
- Where possible, adjust settings on all devices to run in economy mode
- Set to automatically switch to standby or sleep mode when not being actively used
- Turn off at the power point when not in use
Kitchen
(typically comprises around 13% of average household energy use)
- Set fridge to no colder than 4-5°C, and the freezer -15 to -18°C and minimise how often you open the doors
- Ensure there is a sufficient air gap around the fridge as it helps it run more efficiently
- When boiling the kettle, don’t fill it with more water than you need (it uses a lot of energy)
- Don’t run your dishwasher unless it’s full
Lighting
(typically comprises about 7% of average household energy use)
- Try using natural light as much as possible
- Turn off lights when you’re not in the room
- If you only need a small amount of light, turn on a lamp instead of the main lights
- Switch to LED globes, especially for those lights that your household uses the most
My Account and the EnergyAustralia App can help you manage your energy
Manage your energy accounts in one secure place, either online or on your smartphone. It’s easy to track your energy use, manage your account details and view and pay your bills.
Hot tip
If you’re an electricity customer with a smart meter, you can view your daily (or even hourly) usage in My Account and our app to see when you use your energy and to help you to manage your energy costs better. Go to energyaustralia.com.au/myaccount and get our app from the usual places
You can also chat with us online or call us on 133 466.
Note, actual energy use varies from state to state and from home to home depending on the appliances in the home and how they are used. Source: SA.GOV.AU - Home energy use (www.sa.gov.au)