Reducing your energy bills is easier when you understand where most of your energy usage goes.
- Space heating is usually the biggest source of energy use inside the home, followed by water heating.
- If you include all energy that an average household uses, then driving is by far the biggest source of energy use.
Source: Rewiring Australia
Source: Rewiring Australia
We’ve compiled a list of energy-saving options suitable for every budget, from free to over $10,000.
You can also use our instant estimate to get a personalised list of recommendations for your home:
Budget: $0
Change your energy retailer
You may be on an expensive electricity plan. Visit Energy Made Easy to compare and switch to a better deal.
Adjust your AC thermostat settings
The greater the difference between your thermostat settings and the ambient temperature, the harder your AC has to work.
- Summer: Set your AC to 25°C instead of 20°C.
- Winter: Set it to heat to 20°C instead of 25°C.
This adjustment could reduce your AC bill by 30–50%.
Join the My Efficient Electric Home (MEEH) Facebook Group
This Australia-based community is great for sharing energy efficiency tips and asking questions.
Budget: $300
Replace light bulbs with LED’s.
Switching to LEDs will help you reduce your energy bills. For example, if you change 20 halogen downlights to LED downlights, you can save up to $210 a year on energy costs.
Replace shower heads with low-flow heads.
If you can reduce the water flow when you take a shower, you will reduce the amount of water you need to heat.
Modern showerheads, such as those designed with double-impinging jet technology only use 5 litres of water per minute whereas old showerheads can pass up to 35 litres per minute.
Power usage meter
Ever wonder how much energy your household appliances are using ? These easy to use meters can be purchased for as little as $30, and allow you to monitor how much energy an appliance is using.
Simple to use and understand, with no need for installation by an Electrician. These are often available from your local library on loan.
Get a timer for your electric hot water system
If you have solar panels, set your HWS to heat water during the day when solar generation is highest.
Heat your hot water on a controlled load.
If you don’t have solar, investigate a controlled load tariff for lower-cost hot water heating. A licensed electrician can make this change.
Note: If you are already a controlled load installed you will see a reference to CL1 and CL2 on your energy bill.
Seal gaps in doors and windows
Leaking air from your home carries with it valuable heat or coolness with it. In winter, uncontrolled air leakage can account for 15 – 25 % of heat loss.
To reduce leakage, seal doors, windows, chimneys, bathroom fans, around skirting boards and architraves, floorboards and other gaps and cracks.
Budget: $1,000 to $5,000
Get a hot water heat pump
This is simply the most efficient way to heat your hot water. They are about 4 times more efficient than a conventional hot water system.
The alternative option is Solar Hot Water which is a proven technology but less efficient than a Heat Pump.
For more information on whether a hot water heat pump is right for your situation, (click here)
Click here to get an instant estimate for a hot water heat pump
Replace gas cooking with induction cooking
This is only slightly cheaper than gas cooking so you won’t save too much on this alone, however gas cooking is often the last appliance keeping households on the gas network.
By getting rid of gas cooking, you can save on your daily gas supply charge.
In addition, you have significant health benefits as gas cooking contributes to 12% of the asthma burden in children.
Click here to get an instant estimate for induction cooking
Home Insulation
Insulation is one of the simplest ways of improving the energy efficiency of your home. Ceiling insulation is the most important, but you can also insulate wall cavities and floors.
Most homes don’t have enough insulation, or the existing installation might have been compromised by old age or disturbance by a contractor/builder.
Upgrade your windows
Windows are often the weakest link in a home’s thermal envelope. That means they are poor insulators, so heat can pass through as sunshine and heat the inside of the home, which can either be good or bad depending on the season.
The most affordable way is to upgrade your curtains. Heavy curtains with pelmets are an excellent way to insulate your windows. The key is to have a still layer of air between the window and the curtains.
A more expensive way is to install secondary glazing, like Magnetite. Having two layers of glass instead of one will improve your thermal insulation.
Budget: $5,000 or more
Install solar
Solar panels produce clean power and are almost always a great investment. The average payback period for solar in NSW is between 4-5 years.
Click here to get an instant estimate for installing solar
Replace electric or gas heaters with a reverse-cycle air conditioner
Also known as heat pumps, RCAC units can both heat and cool. They are also the most efficient way to heat your home.
Click here to get an instant estimate for RCAC
Install double glazing
The most expensive but most effective way to improve the insulation of your windows is to replace your windows with double glazing. This has the added benefit of reducing external noise as well.
Install an awning
By blocking the sun before it enters your home, you reduce the amount of cooling you need.
Consider installing a vertical awning on western-facing windows, or regular awnings on north-facing windows.
Budget: $10,000 or more
Install a battery
The main benefit of a battery is that you can store cheap solar energy generated from your solar system during the day, and use it at night (especially during the peak hours of 5-9 pm).
Click here to get an instant estimate for installing a battery
Get an Electric Vehicle (EV)
EVs dramatically reduce your household energy costs compared to petrol-fueled cars because they’re much more efficient.
EVs also pair well with solar systems for even greater savings if you charge rapidly during the middle of the day from excess solar energy.
Click here to get an instant estimate for installing an EV charger