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How working together helps the Jacksons save energy

With six kids living at home, this former Gogglebox family is very familiar with the challenges of keeping energy use under control. Here’s how the Jacksons make small changes to the way they use energy - and save on their bills.
6 min read
Last updated 19 Oct, 2023

Recent increases in the cost of living mean many families are looking for ways to improve energy efficiency and reduce their power bills. But when it comes to reducing their household energy use, families often face extra challenges. An endless laundry pile, kids playing games on different screens, and a revolving door of people turning appliances and lights on mean consumption can add up fast.

“We use a lot of energy,” says Grant Jackson. “We’ve got six kids with girlfriends, boyfriends and friends in and out as well. It’s a lot of people coming through and at any given time there’s multiple things running all over the house.”

We chatted to parents Stacey and Grant and their kids Britney and Jesse to learn more about the changes they’ve made as a family to reduce their energy use and manage their costs.

Drop the temperature on your heating – even just a bit

The Jacksons live in Western Sydney, where it gets hot in summer and cold in winter, so it’s no surprise that heating and cooling are among their biggest uses of energy. But they’ve found turning the heat down just a degree or two in winter can make a surprising difference.

In summer, they remind the kids to close windows when the air conditioning is on to reduce waste – and keep the blinds down to keep the cool air in and the heat out. They also use timers to turn things off automatically when they’re asleep.  

“I put a timer on for four hours, so it turns off in the middle of the night when I don’t notice it,” explains Britney.

Take shorter showers – and hang up towels

Water heating is another big contributor to the Jacksons’ energy use, and taking shorter showers is one simple change everyone in the family can make.

And while it’s impossible to escape the laundry altogether, a few easy changes to their habits have helped them avoid doing more than they need to. Stacey encourages younger family members to consider whether clean outer clothes could be put away after a short wear, instead of throwing them automatically into the laundry basket. And they’ve become vigilant about making sure towels are hung up so they can be used again rather than left damp on the bathroom floor.

Stacey estimates they do around two to three loads of laundry a day. Limited line space and a shaded backyard mean they’re not able to abandon the dryer altogether, but they can take small steps to use it less wherever possible.

“Even just hanging out one load a day rather than putting everything in the dryer all the time can make a difference,” says Stacey. 

Switch off for the night – or if you’re going out

While lights don’t typically use a lot of energy, every bit helps.

It’s easy for young kids to forget to turn lights off when they leave a room, so the family all works together by switching off lights in empty rooms when they see them. They also proactively help the younger family members become more aware by involving them in checking everything before they leave the house.

“If we’re going out for the day, I’ll allocate one of the kids to do a lap of the house and make sure everything is switched off,” says Grant.

And everyone can do their bit by adopting the simple habit of making sure their own devices are switched off at the end of the day.

“Before I go to bed, I always make sure everything in my room is turned off,” says Jesse. 

Track your usage and energy budget

Being mindful of your energy consumption has never been easier with a range of tools and apps available to help you monitor your usage and spending.

 As AGL customers for over 15 years, the Jacksons use the AGL app to measure their consumption and adjust their energy plans. 

“I love the app,” says Grant. “I have both the electricity and gas on it and I use it to track our spending - it really helps with budgeting.”

Through the app, the Jacksons can manage their accounts on the go, view their usage and check their upcoming bills through their phone.

For the Jacksons, being more energy efficient comes down to being mindful about how much energy they’re using and working together as a family to develop new habits that will reduce waste. And the good news is, it doesn’t have to be complicated - even small changes have the potential to add up to big savings. 

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