Smart steps for saving energy

By making small changes to your home, you can save on your monthly electricity bills and reduce your carbon footprint to help combat climate change.

Save money and the planet by following these handy tips for your home.

1. Use energy-saving appliances

When you’re in the market to buy new electrical appliances, look for devices with high energy star ratings. They help you protect the environment and your wallet. A fridge with a high star energy rating might appear more expensive up front, but it will save you month to month in your electricity bills.

While, you’re upgrading your appliances, check if your home insurance is up to date too! AAMI Home Insurance provides a lifetime guarantee on authorised repairs, meaning you can rest assured that you’ll receive quality workmanship.

Get a Home Insurance quote

2. Use a fan

Another appliance that chews up electricity is the air conditioning. We all know just how hot Australia can get in the summer, but there’s an alternative solution that won’t hurt your hip pocket: a fan. By placing pedestal fans at strategic points throughout your home, and near the bed to keep you cool while you sleep, you’ll be able to get through summer without incurring extra electricity expenses.

3. Take advantage of time-of-use pricing

Electricity costs more during peak usage times. A great way to lower your energy bills is by using high-energy appliances such as your dryer, dishwasher and washing machine outside of the peak usage times. If you use appliances before 2pm and after 8pm on weekdays and between 3pm and 8pm on weekends you'll be able to take advantage of lower prices.

4. Wash clothes with cold water

Another great way to mitigate the damage to your electricity bill is by washing your clothes with cold water instead of hot water whenever you can to take the strain off using your hot water heater. Cold water washes are perfect for dark and bright colours, so it’s best to separate your load to ensure you wash your clothes in the most cost-effective way.

5. Help your heater

When the weather gets chilly, you can keep things warm and cosy without overusing your heater. Wear warm clothes and keep heat inside by drawing the curtains and blinds in the late afternoon as the sun starts to dip. Close doors to section off specific areas of your home that require warming, such as your bedroom and living room.

6. Switch to efficient lighting

By making the switch to an energy-efficient lighting option in your household, you can greatly reduce your electricity usage. Audit the light sources in your home to see where improvements can be made – whether you use dimmers, downlights or something else entirely. Remember: while installing entirely new lights will require an electrician, you can DIY by simply switching the type of light bulb you use.

7. Unplug everything

You may think this is overkill, but by unplugging all your gadgets when they’re not in use you can avoid paying too much come bill time. Televisions, phone chargers, sound systems, computers, modems and all your other non-essential appliances still draw power when they’re plugged into an active socket, so by living life unplugged, you can help yourself and the environment.

8. Defrost food in the fridge

Your microwave is a thirsty little machine, so it’s important to only use it when it’s efficient to do so – and defrosting dinner isn’t one of those times! Don’t move meals immediately from the freezer to the microwave. Plan ahead instead and give yourself time to defrost your food in the fridge.

9. Use your dishwasher properly

Get the most energy savings out of you dishwasher by stacking plates and bowls correctly – this means facing inwards towards the centre. Scraping off excess food ensures your dishwasher cleans everything correctly, while waiting until it’s full means you’re saving money by making the most of each load.

10. Air-dry everything

Although dryers and dishwashers make it easy to dry clothes, cookware, crockery and cutlery in the blink of an eye, this can increase the monthly cost of your electricity bill. Air-drying your essentials may take longer, but it’s a smart way to ensure your costs stay down. By hanging your clothes on the line in the morning, they should be dry by the afternoon, and if you’re drying clothes inside, increase airflow by opening nearby windows.

Read more:

• Winter-proof your house 
• 10 ways to stay cool at home from AAMI 
• How to keep a car cool in the summer 

Insurance issued by AAI Limited ABN 48 005 297 807 trading as AAMI. Before buying this insurance, please read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before you make any decision regarding this product. The Target Market Determination is also available. Any advice has been prepared without taking into account your particular objectives, financial situation or needs, so you should consider whether it is appropriate for you before acting on it.