Energy saving tips

Energy saving tips videos

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The lower the temperature setting, the more energy your refrigerator uses. Any temperature under 5°C is acceptable, with the ideal temperature being 3°C.
Clean seals on the fridge and freezer and replace if they are broken or do not seal correctly.
Avoid filling fridges and freezers too much, they run more efficiently when they have about 20% free space for air flow.

When cooking on the stove, use the correct size pan to the correct size burner. Using a pot that’s smaller than your burner wastes energy.
If the recipe allows, also keep a lid on your pots and pans while cooking. This will speed up the cooking process and will save more energy by using less heat.
If you can, cook outdoors on hot days to keep your house cool inside.
When cooking food in the oven, keep the oven door closed and minimise the tendency to open the door to peek on your food: Opening the oven door allows heat to escape, requiring more energy to make up that lost heat.
The fan-forced setting helps keep the temperature constant to cook food quicker, and use less energy.
Batch cooking can save on time, and use less energy.
Appliances could be responsible for as much as 30% of your energy bill. If possible, use small appliances or energy-efficient cooking methods such as microwave ovens or an air fryer consume less energy compared to traditional stoves.
Switch off appliances at the wall when not in use. Standby power still uses energy.

Draughts in gaps of doors and windows can cause a large amount of air loss from homes. Improve heating and cooling efficiency by sealing window and door gaps.
Uncovered windows can cause up to 40% of heat loss in the winter. Any window covering can help keep temperature more comfortable. If possible, use heavy, lined curtains that fall below the window to keep warmth in.
If your home has an air conditioner, lowering the temperature by 1 degree can save up to 10% on energy use. For cooling, set the air conditioner temperature between 24°C and 26°C. For heating, set the air conditioner temperature between 18°C and 20°C.
On humid days the air conditioner does not have to work as hard to cool the air when running on ‘dry mode’, helping to save electricity use.
Replacing a dirty, clogged filter in your air conditioner with a clean one can lower the energy consumption by around 5% to 15%. Clean your air conditioner filter twice a year to help it run as efficiently as possible.
Ceiling or wall-mounted fans and portable electric fans can be very cost effective to run compared to air conditioning, in some cases they can cost less than two cents per hour to run.

A cold-water cycle can cost 80% to 90% less than warm or hot water. If your machine has an economy cycle, use that to save energy and water.
Clothes drying can use a lot of energy. There are a range of simple ways you can use less. Sun-dry clothes outside, or air-dry clothes on a clothing rack inside to save energy.
When using a dryer, avoid filling it too much and over drying clothes as both waste energy.
Clean the lint filter on the dryer to help it run efficiency.

In an average household, water heating is about 25% of a home’s energy bill. Where possible, reduce your hot water use.
Longer showers use more water and energy. Do you sing in the shower? Save on water heating costs, by setting a one-song limit (aim for a 4-minute or less shower).
One of the biggest users of energy for a dishwashing machine is heating water. If you have a temperature option on your machine, use the setting that will run the wash at around 50 °C. This is usually around the low to medium heat setting.
Boiling a cup of water in the kettle can be up to 10% more energy efficient compared to boiling water on an electric stovetop. Although this varies from kettle to kettle.
If you have a swimming pool, your pool's pump could be responsible for 20% to 30% of your energy bill. This would make it one of the largest users of electricity in your home and make you a good candidate for installing Solar panels.

Appliances could be responsible for as much as 30% of your energy bill. If possible, use small appliances.
Energy-efficient cooking methods such as microwave ovens or an air fryer consume less energy compared to traditional stoves.
Switch off appliances at the wall when not in use, including TV's. Standby power still uses energy.
If you're looking to upgrade appliances, it’s important to consider energy-efficient appliances by looking at the energy star rating label before your purchase. The more stars, the less energy it’ll use – which will reduce costs in the long term.

If your home has a dishwashing machine, wait until a load is full before running a cycle, this is the most efficient use of energy when using a dishwasher.
One of the biggest users of energy for your dishwasher is heating water. If you have a temperature guide on your machine, use the setting that will run the wash at around 50 °C. This is usually around the low to medium heat setting.

Understand how you’re charged for energy, which you can find on your energy bill.
Retailers set out their bills differently and may provide slightly different information. Contact your retailer or go to energy.gov.au if you need further help understanding your bill.
Most energy providers will allow you to monitor your energy use and access energy insights by using their app. Contact your energy retailer to find out more.
To make the biggest energy savings, you should focus on how to best use the appliances that consume the most energy e.g. refrigerator, washing machine, clothes dryer, dishwasher, air conditioner.

SOURCES:

1. Fridges and freezers: energyrating.gov.au | qld.gov.au | yourhome.gov.au

2. Energy-saving tips for: Cooking: whatswatt.com.au | energy.gov.au | sustainability.vic.gov.au

3. Energy-saving tips for: Household appliances: energy.gov.au | sustainability.vic.gov.au | energy.gov.au | energyrating.gov.au

4. Energy-saving tips for: Lighting: energy.gov.au

5. Energy-saving tips for: Water use: energy.gov.au | energyrating.gov.au | insideenergy.org | sustainability.vic.gov.au

6. Energy-saving tips for: Dishwashers: energyrating.gov.au | sustainability.vic.gov.au

7. Energy-saving tips for: Washing and drying clothes: yourhome.gov.au | energy.gov.au | energyrating.gov.au

9. General energy-saving tips: energy.gov.au | qld.gov.au