Winter's here: Tips to control your energy bill

As winter’s chill bites, there are a lot of things you can do to help control your power usage and your energy bills. Here are some inexpensive measures that you can take.

Energy Savings Tips

  • Turn your appliances off at the wall when you aren’t using them. Appliances that use standby power can account for 7 per cent of your power bill.
  • Use a thermostat and timer on heaters.
  • Use draught stopping tape or door snakes along the bottom of doors.
  • Close doors and draw curtains at dusk to keep the day's heat in.
  • Replace your four most used light bulbs with energy efficient ones. Each bulb can save you $20 a year.
  • Only have heat pumps and gas fires turned on when you're home and using the room.
  • Dry your clothes outside or on a clothes horse rather than using a clothes dryer
  • Only use heated towel rails when needed, or put them on a timer
  • Defrost your freezer – it will run more efficiently
  • Check your fridge door seals and replace them if they look worn or there are gaps

For further tips go to the EECA Energy Wise website www.energywise.govt.nz