Even in winter Western Australia is a truly beautiful place…it’s just a shame that the same can’t be said for our power bills this time of year! So here in the Source office, we decided to put our heads together (socially distanced, of course) and share our top 5 tips to take the edge off your power bill this winter.
1. Dry smarter, not harder:
For most, the clothes dryer is a weapon of choice during winter, but they can cost you up to $650 a year! Unless you need something in a hurry, try drying your clothes in front of a heater (at a safe distance). That way you’re heating your home and drying your clothes with one appliance instead of two. Plus, you’re less likely to shrink anything this way – be honest, we’ve all done it!
2. Real-time = peace of mind
You can’t manage what you can’t measure and we all have that one friend that freezes through winter because they just don’t know what the heater is going to cost them. Well, Source is here to help. Source customers not only get access to cleaner, greener energy from the sun, they also get access to real-time monitoring of their electricity use.
Techniques to save energy (and therefore money) are heavily dependent on what type of appliances you use and the home you live in. Source’s real-time monitoring allows you to experiment without the guesswork and finally find out what works for you.
3. Go Green:
On average Source’s residential customers save around $80 on their power bill each year all thanks to the power of the sun. The best part is that the switch to our solar infrastructure costs tenants and the council of owners absolutely nothing, meaning cheaper and more sustainable energy is more accessible than ever before. To find out more, click here
4. Here’s a bright idea:
In winter it gets dark earlier, meaning inefficient lights are likely to be left on longer and digging deeper into your piggie bank. The winter solstice may have just passed, but there’s many more months of darkness to get through so don’t ignore the potential of upgrading your light bulbs.
A simple upgrade to newer and more efficient bulbs is always a worthwhile venture, but smart lights offer a whole new world of money-saving potential. Firstly, many smart lights offer the ability to set auto on/off times meaning the end of the days when you come home to find a light has been left on all day long. Most smart bulbs also offer a wide range of dimming options, allowing you to set just the right level of light and not use any more electricity than necessary.
Smart bulbs are cheaper than you think and are available at a range of stores including Bunnings, JB HI-FI and Harvey Norman.
5. Lock it down:
Heaters; they’re one of the most costly appliances you’re likely to run this winter, accounting for 40% of the average electricity bill. But that doesn’t mean you have to freeze this winter to save some dosh, there are some more economical ways to run a heater.
One of the oldest tricks in the book is to reduce the space you’re trying to heat. By closing the doors of unused rooms, your heater of choice will be able to warm you faster and for a lower cost. Be sure to close your curtains and blinds as well, that’ll also keep the heat where it belongs…inside!
