We live in a world of convenience. At the push of a button, we’re warm and cosy and we simply have to turn on a tap to get hot water!

It’s easy to enjoy these conveniences and forget that they often come at a cost. But as usage ramps up during winter, it pays to take more notice of the main contributors to increased energy bills.

It’s doesn’t require much time or effort to save energy and reduce costs. Here are some simple and effective ways to get you started.

Water

Everyone can save water and the energy used to heat it by following these tips:

• Take shorter showers. Less water means less energy used to heat the water. A good rule of thumb is, spend no longer than a four minute song in the shower. So put on your favourite tune and test out those pipes. Who said being a bathroom singer was all bad!
• Install a water saving shower head (AAA rated) and reduce the water used from 22L per minute to just 9L per minute. Amazing!
• Immediately repair dripping taps. Did you know a tap leaking 10 drips of water a minute adds up to three litres of water wasted in a day? It’s a lot more than you’d think so make it a priority.
• Set the temperature on your hot water storage tank to 60 degrees Celsius. Any higher and it’ll use more gas and electricity than necessary, but any lower and bacteria may thrive. The temperature on an instant system should be no more than 50 degrees Celsius;
• If you have a hot water storage tank system, turn it off when you go on holiday.

Heating

It’s tempting to crank up the heater and bask in the warmth but follow these simple tips and you’ll still keep warm while also saving energy:

• Lower the temperature on the thermostat – a couple of degrees will make all the difference.
• Buy some thicker curtains for winter. These will help keep the heat in, limiting the amount of heating required.
• Use thicker duvets and blankets to keep warm. You’ll find you won’t need the heater as much.
• Put a timer on the heater so it automatically switches off. It’ll save you from wondering if you remembered to switch your heating off.

Lighting

Lighting is not usually something that’s given much attention until a bulb blows. But with the days getting darker earlier, it could be costing you more than you think:

• Turn off lights in rooms you are not using.
• Use a lamp rather than overhead lights.
• Change old globes to energy efficient fluorescent globes.

Appliances

A lot of us couldn’t get by without our appliances but they can be big energy guzzlers if we’re not careful:

• Pay attention to the energy rating label when choosing your appliances. An energy efficient appliance will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save you money on your bills.
• Don’t leave your appliances in standby mode, turn it off at the wall.
• Check your fridge seals to ensure they are intact and not letting out cool air.

For more ways to beat the chill and bill shock this winter, check out which energy savings apps to download.

Another simple way to save? Switch to better value energy with WA’s true local provider!