By making a few lifestyle changes in your home and how you consume electrical items it can make a big difference to your future power bill.
The living room
Turn off appliance at the wall – computers, music stereos, DVD player, televisions (appliances that are in standby mode still use up electricity). For these appliances you can use a power board which can supply energy to many appliances all at once and gives you the option to turn off all electrical items with one switch.
Sounds obvious, but turning your lights off in all rooms when not in use can significantly reduce your electricity bill. Perhaps use lamps that only need small amount energy as opposed to your ceiling lights. Additionally, replace your old lights to fluorescent bulbs; they consume a fraction of the energy compared to incandescent bulbs.
Kitchen
Buy energy efficient appliance. Appliances can take up 30% of your home energy usage. Have a visit to http://www.energyrating.gov.au where you can compare the energy star rating of various products. Use an electrical kettle and use less water when boiling.
The refrigerator and freezer are on 24 hours 7 days a week and so are the most energy consuming appliance. If you can, buy the best energy efficient fridge within your budget. Ideally keep your fridge in a cool place and in well-ventilated area. According to the government ‘leaving space all around your fridge and setting the temperature to 3 to 4 Celsius can reduce your yearly electricity bill by up to $30’. If you think you’re going away for a long period of time, empty your fridge and turn it off to save electricity.
Laundry
Wash your clothes in cold water rather than hot water and set the spinning setting to high.Stop yourself from using the dryer, and hang your clothes outside, its safer, better for the environment and your clothes will smell nicer.
Bathroom
By taking shorter showers it can reduce the energy needed to heat up the water. Why not use a small timer to help monitor how long you spend in the shower.