Nobody wants high electricity bills! Here are some common bad habits that are worth breaking. They just might save you some money in the long run!
1. Leaving lights on when not in use
This is the first that comes to mind when thinking of high electricity bills, but it’s also one of the easiest to cut out. It takes one second to turn off a light. How about going for a quick lap around the house and turning off all unused lights? It could end up saving you a lot in the long run. Plus it helps the environment!
2. Heating your hot water in the evening
This one’s for our friends with solar. This could be one of the biggest cost-saving hacks of all, set your hot water boiler to heat up during the day. By using your solar power you can heat up your water for the evening. This also keeps the energy you would usually feed back into the grid in your own home, saving you money!
Did you know? that a boiler can keep water hot for around 24 hours!
3. Ironing at night
Did you know that an average iron uses 1100 watts when fully heated? If you don’t have solar yet and are ironing lots of clothing, all this energy can definitely add up! Getting your ironing done all in one go can save you from having to heat it multiple times a week. Plus you’ll appreciate those extra minutes in bed when your clothes are all pre ironed!
4. Washing your clothes on high heat
While we’re on the subject of laundry, did you know that washing your clothes with unnecessarily high heat can be costing you money? 90% of the energy it takes to power a washing machine comes from heating the water. Switching to a warm setting can slice energy usage by half. Better yet, use the cold cycle!
Source: Energy Star
It’s a common myth that you need to wash your clothes with hot water. Cold water will perform just fine with most fabrics and stains.
5. Using power-hungry appliances during the day
The average kettle uses about 1800 watts of electricity. This is actually pretty high compared to other household appliances. If you want a quick solar hack that you can start immediately, try filling a large hot water flask with freshly boiled water. Giving you a supply of hot water to last you all night.
6. Standing in front of an open fridge
Hungry and have nothing to eat in the fridge? Standing there with the door open won’t make food magically appear, so close the door! It’s a bad habit lots of us probably have. Letting all the cold air out will force it to replace what is lost, increasing its electricity usage.
7. Leaving your devices charging long past 100%
It may seem easy to just leave your devices plugged in all the time. But the reality is that they keep sucking power even after your device is fully charged! So when you’re done charging your phone unplug it from the wall. Why not try keeping your charger in your bag when you’re not using it? That way you’ll never be caught without one.
8. Not getting Solar!
This may not be a bad habit but a surefire way to start reducing your high electricity bills. Invest in a solar system! Everyone can afford to go solar with SunEnergy’s Pay as You Save program, use your bill savings to pay for your brand new system with zero deposit.
