Photography: Marnie Hawson
Your home should be a sanctuary through every season, especially when the bitter chill of winter bites. But cosy comes at a cost and power bill dread is as common as the sniffles. To take control of your energy use and keep your hard-earned cash in your own pocket, look at the worst offenders – the places where money often leaks out of households.
We’ve rounded up the usual suspects, from porous windows to underperforming appliances, and put together our top 10 tips for amping up the energy efficiency in your home.
10 ways to save on your power bill
1. Build with bricks
“Bricks offer exceptional thermal performance, thanks to their natural ability to absorb, store and gradually release heat,” says Brett Ward, Brickworks general manager marketing. “In cooler months, they capture warmth during the day and release it at night, helping to reduce reliance on heating.
It’s a simple, passive way to make a home more comfortable and energy efficient– without needing complex systems or ongoing costs.”
Brick veneer with modern insulation works beautifully, while double brick offers a further insulation advantage, “particularly in areas with greater temperature variation or for those wanting added acoustic benefits and long-term durability,” says Brett.
2. Embrace solar power
Australia’s blazing sun is one of its greatest resources, so why not make it work for you? Solar photovoltaic panels can be installed on the roof (rebates may ease the upfront cost) and used to generate electricity.
Most systems connect to the grid, allowing you to save in two ways – you can operate your home primarily off solar energy during the day, and your energy retailer will pay for energy you export to the grid, discounting consumption in the evenings and when the sun isn’t shining. Solar batteries can further reduce your grid-reliance.
3. Check the Energy Rating stars
The government-regulated Energy Rating system takes the guesswork out of buying appliances – more stars mean less money spent on power. The sticker also shows the estimated annual consumption in kilowatt hours. While usually ranked between one and six stars, appliance innovations have prompted a new ‘super efficiency’ rating of up to 10 stars.
What constitutes a good buy varies depending on the type of appliance and how often you use it.
4. Look for water heating alternatives
With water heating making up to a third of household energy consumption, it’s worth looking into alternatives. Easy tips include: switching to water-efficient shower heads and taps, only running a full dishwasher, and turning down the temp on your hot water cylinder (60°C is the sweet spot for preventing bacteria).
You could also upgrade your hot water system. Depending on climate, a heat pump water heater is much more efficient than a traditional electric storage system; solar hot water systems harness the sun’s heat; and if you have a fireplace, you might be able to fit it with a wetback (pipe system) to heat water.
5. Check your lightbulbs
Lighting can account for up to 10 per cent of your power bills, but a few small changes can chip away at that cost. Switch out any remaining incandescent or halogen bulbs for long-lasting and efficient LEDs.
Use motion sensor lights, especially outdoors and in transition spaces like hallways, so lights aren’t left on without a reason. Outdoor lighting can be supplemented by solar lights, which give your garden a glow up for free!
6. Insulate your windows
Windows can leak out up to 40 per cent of your home’s heat. Retrofitting with double or tripleglazed windows can minimise heat loss. Heat can also escape through the frame. It also escapes around the edges of windows and doors, which is where even a novice DIYer can take control of their comfort; use a lit candle to (carefully) identify airflow, then plug the gaps with adhesive window seals and draught excluders.
7. Think about passive house design
Passive house design uses the built form to optimise thermal comfort through the season, with little energy consumption, and good insulation is a key ingredient. If your house falls short, retrofitting insulation can be a simple process.
Ceilings account for 25–35 per cent of heat loss, so if you have access to the roof space, this is the best place to start. Check out the R value, which is a measure of resistance to heat flow – the higher the R value, the more cosy you’ll be.
8. Hack your heating
Though the upfront cost might sting, a reverse-cycle air conditioner is the most energy efficient way to heat your home, with extra points for its ability to cool in summer.
Hack your heating further with these bonus tips: turn ceiling fans to winter mode, which reverses the rotation and drives warm air back down to a useful level; set the temperature no higher than 20°C; heat only the rooms you’re using and close the doors to other spaces.
9. Use smart technology
Smart home technology can be used to monitor the energy use of appliances. It can also be used to make sure you’re burning energy only when you need it; for example, smart systems can use sensors or geofencing to turn lights on only when you’re in the room, while smart thermostats can adjust your home heating based on your movements and the outside temperature.
Smart power strips reduce the ‘phantom load’, the energy sucked by appliances in stand-by mode, by switching off at set times.
10. Upgrade your window treatments
“Having good window treatments that are properly fitted help trap air, reducing heat transfer and thus help with lowering energy bills,” says Luxaflex brand manager Stephanie Lee. “Good window
treatments are underestimated in helping the average house retain heat during colder months.”
Stephanie recommends honeycomb blinds, like Luxaflex’s Duette Architella Shades. “The unique honeycomb construction traps air in the pockets, which help reduce heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer.
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