NorCab Electrical Wholesale

Top 12 tips to save money on your energy bills this winter...

1. Ensure your house is sealed and insulated. Check and replace weather strips on doors and windows. Carefully hold a smoking combustible material (say an incense stick) near the frames of exterior doors and windows. If the smoke moves toward or away from the window, an air leak is likely.
2. Choose the right size appliance for the area you want to heat. For example, buy an electrical radiant-type heater to heat only yourself in the bathroom in the morning to eliminate morning whole-house heating time.
3. Open curtains during the day to let sunlight in to your home, and close windows and curtains when trying to keep heat in.
4. Reduce hot water use. Low-flow showerheads reduce water and energy costs. Take showers rather than baths since showering, in general, takes less water than baths. Repair leaky taps.
5. Keep doors to empty rooms and cold rooms (like kitchens, bathrooms and laundries) closed. This can prevent up to 75 per cent of total heat loss from a home.
6. Only turn on your heating system when people are at home.
7. Stay under the covers – turning heaters down or completely off overnight can drastically reduce your energy use and instead dress more warmly in woollen jumpers and socks.
8. "Reuse" heat: Leave hot water in the bathtub or in cooking pots instead of draining it immediately. This allows the water's stored heat to dissipate into your home rather than being lost down the drain. You can also leave a hot oven slightly open after its use to heat the home.
9. Lower the electric thermostat set point on your water heater. Check your water temperature by placing the back of your hand under a steady stream of hot water - if it is too hot to keep there, it is too hot.
10. Install a water heater blanket or jacket or replace an old one. Older water heaters may not have adequate insulation. Or replace your old water heater with a more energy efficient one (see suggestion 12).
11. Keeping your home green:
    For home owners: The Homeowner Insulation Program 
    Home owner-occupiers are entitled to assistance of up to $1600 to install ceiling insulation. If the total cost of installation is less than $1600 there will be no more for the homeowner to pay. The average cost to insulate a home is around $1200.
    
    For renters: The Low Emission Assistance Plan 
    This plan provides assistance of up to $1000 to install ceiling insulation in other property such as rental properties and holiday homes.
12. Hot Water rebate
    Some Federal and State Government rebates apply for replacing your old electric hot water system with a new more efficient system.
    
    To check whether you are eligible, visit the Hot water Rebate-a-meter.