10 Tips to Survive Summer (without the Bill Shock)
- Air-con awareness
The air-con is infamous for its energy-draining tendencies, but there are easy ways to significantly cut down your costs.
The average reverse cycle air-con costs around $0.25 - $0.95 per hour to run for cooling purposes depending on the size of the room. Heating up a medium sized room (~$0.60 an hour) for eight hours a day would cost $4.80 a day. That is $1,750 a year. Halving your air-con use to four hours a day could save you $875 a year.
Turning down your thermostat one degree is estimated to add around 10% to the total amount of electricity your air-con consumes over summer. This air-con calculator will help you calculate your savings.
- Get (FAN)cy
Ceiling and portable fans will cost just $0.02 - $0.05 an hour depending on the fan speed. They may not have the cooling ability of a standard air-con, so why not get creative?
If you have a breeze coming through your window, position the fan away from it to create a cross-breeze and force the fresh air into your home. This also works by facing the fan towards the window. It may sound counterintuitive, but it will push old air out of your home and draw in cooler air.
You could try this with multiple fans and see what combination creates the best airflow.
- Shade schedule
Make the most of the shade in your backyard or nearby your house. Your air-con won’t have to work hard when you’re outside, lowering your energy bill.
Get to know the shade schedule in your backyard and consider sitting under a tree, shade sail, or patio.
- Close the blinds!
Uncovered windows are known to be responsible for up to 50% of unwanted heat gain during summer. This increase in temperature may add to your air-con bill, and every degree counts!
- Be proactive with your pool pump
Pool pumps are known to significantly hike summer power bills. Avoid running your pool pump 24 hours a day over summer. Pool pumps in Australia only need to run for eight hours a day. A constantly running pool pump can add up to $60 per month. That is $180 over the three summer months.
- Lights and lamps
Some lights and lamps generate excess heat, so make the most of the natural light outside and switch these appliances off for as long as possible.
Fluorescent light bulbs are also known to save as much as 75% in energy compared to traditional light bulbs. They last longer, and can cut down your costs significantly over long periods of time.
- Dehumidify
They say it’s not the heat that gets you, it’s the humidity.
If you live in a humid climate, a dehumidifier can make your room much more comfortable without having to crank the air-con. When your home is humid, it forces the air-con to remove moisture and work harder, costing you more money to stay cool.
- Head to a public location
Your air-con doesn’t need to be on if you’re not home.
In the hotter parts of summer, getting out of the house can help you cut down your air-con costs. Why not relax under an umbrella at the beach and make the most of the sea breeze? Failing that, you could cool down at a public pool, or sit in the air-con at your local library.
- Use the sun to dry your clothes
A basic vented clothes dryer can cost between $0.94 and $1.17 per cycle. Drying 10 loads a week that would cost $9.40 (at $0.94 per load), which is $113 over the summer quarter.
Make the most of the heat and dry your clothes on the washing line outside. In the hotter months, it may be just as quick and effective as using the dryer.
- Compare plans and switch
The FiftyUp Club has energy special offers only available to our members. Why not see if you could switch providers and save?
