Energy saving tips

Set and forget for the season

End any thermostat battles in your home by setting your system to 24°C in summer and 18°C to 20°C in winter. These are comfortable temperatures in both seasons, especially compared to the conditions outside!

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Enjoy a fresh start

The start of a new season makes the perfect time to review your energy use and efficiency. Start by making sure your heating and cooling is set up to run efficiently for the conditions ahead.

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Choose the right size for your home

Make sure your heating and cooling system or appliance is the right solution for the size of your home and your lifestyle. If it’s too large, it could be wasting energy - and if it’s too small, it could be working harder than it is designed to operate.

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Don't crank your air-con

It’s more energy efficient to heat or cool your house slowly over time, instead of cranking your air conditioner up or down.

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Use your tech

If you have an air-con system which you can run through an app - learn how to use it! You could set it to cool or warm your house slowly before you get home or before you even get out of bed in the morning, rather than cranking it.

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Seal the cold or warm air in

Use a door snake - or even a rolled-up towel - to help stop air escaping from under your doors.

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Use a pedestal or ceiling fan

Fans are a much more energy-efficient way to stay cool and keep the air moving, compared to air-conditioning.

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Book in a service

Having your heater and air-conditioner serviced could help you to keep it running efficiently. Check with your manufacturer for recommendations.

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Add a layer

When the weather is getting chilly, reach for a jumper, hoodie or your favourite wearable blanket before you decide to switch on the heating.

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Sun in, sun out

In winter, open your blinds or curtains in the middle of the day to let the warm sun in. In summer, use your blinds or curtains to block out the sun’s heat.

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Get warm and cosy

On cold winter nights, rug up with some warm PJs and your favourite throw rug. At bedtime, try a few extra blankets instead of an electric one.

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Electric blanket on, room heater off

Once you’re in your warm bed, you probably don’t need to heat the whole room.

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Have a TV-free dinner

Switch off and have dinner without the TV. You could use the time to catch up with your family or even plan some new energy efficient habits together!

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Use your solar

If you have solar power, use the daylight hours to charge your devices. If you’re not home during the day, you could charge up a portable charger using your solar energy, then plug your devices into your portable charger overnight.

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Care for your consoles

Your gaming devices and consoles probably don’t need to stay on charge or standby at all times. Switch off at the wall when you can and you could save energy.

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Host a games night

Book in a tech-free games night with your friends or family once a month. You’ll have fun and could reduce your energy use by switching off your devices.

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Beware of standby power

It’s simple: standby mode uses energy. Switch off your TV, set top box and consoles at the wall when you don’t need them.

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Choose the right TV

When it’s time for a new TV, check the energy-star ratings. Options with more stars could cost more upfront but these are also likely to cost less to run in the longer term.

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Switch off your charger

When your phone or tablet has finished charging, turn off the charger. Chargers can still use electricity when they’re not charging anything.

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Set an energy-efficient temp

Your fridge temperature should be below 5°C and your freezer should be set between -15°C and -18°C. For every degree colder, you could increase your running costs. 

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Check your fridge seals

Keeping cold air sealed inside means your fridge doesn’t need to work so hard. If you can slip a $5 note between the fridge and the door, you should consider replacing the seals to help keep that cold air in.

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Clean the back of your fridge

Give the condenser coil a quick vacuum or brush to remove any dust build up. Follow manufacturer's instructions. This could help your fridge to run more efficiently.

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Defrost your freezer

If the ice in your freezer is thicker than 5mm, defrosting it can improve energy efficiency.

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Don't under or overfill your fridge or freezer

Strike the right balance with your meal prep and grocery habits. Cooling sparse shelves is not energy efficient, but overcrowded shelves will generally take more energy to cool.

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Rethink your second fridge

Having a second fridge could cost you more than you think. It could be worth switching off or selling your second fridge.

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Meal prep efficiently

Thaw frozen food in your fridge instead of using your microwave. It will take longer, so you need to plan ahead, but it’s more energy efficient.

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Know your next move

The longer you stand there with your fridge or freezer door open, the more cold air will escape. Try to work out what you need to grab before you open the door.

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Use your clothesline

Clothes dryers can use a lot of energy. Drying your clothes outside on a rack or clothesline could help you to save electricity and enjoy some fresh air in the process!

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Put the sun to work

If you have solar panels, try to run your washing machine and other appliances during the day when you can. This will help you to make the most of the energy produced by your solar system.

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Keep your lint filter clear

To keep your clothes dryer running efficiently, clean the lint filter after each load. 

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Use a cold water wash

Using the cold water cycle on your washing machine could help to reduce the amount of electricity it uses. Check your clothing labels for recommendations.

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Look for a good star-rating

Front loaders are generally more energy efficient than top loaders. Check the energy ratings before you decide. The higher the star-rating, the lower the running costs are likely to be.

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Put your pool pump on a timer

If you have a pool, your pump will use a fair bit of energy. See if you can run it on a timer to reduce your energy use. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

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Don't light empty rooms

Make a plan with your family or housemates to each switch the lights off if you’re the last to leave a room.

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Use energy-saving light bulbs

If you still have any incandescent bulbs left at home, swap them for energy efficient LED ones.

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Embrace mood lighting

When you don’t need to light up the whole room, use a lamp instead or dimmer switch if available.

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Light up with solar

Solar lights look great and they’re easy to install outside with the mini solar panel positioned in a sunny spot to charge.

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Use motion sensor lights outdoors

Don’t worry about leaving your outdoor lights on - let the motion sensor do the work switching those lights on and off.

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Switch off outside

When you’ve finished for the night, make sure you switch off your shed and garage lights too.

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Beware of vampire energy

Appliances and equipment in standby mode can drain energy, so switch them off at the wall when you can.

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Let the stars decide

The energy star rating is an easy way to quickly see how energy efficient your home office equipment is. The more stars, the less it is likely to cost to run.

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Use power-saver mode

Your PC and laptop probably have an eco-saver power setting. Set this for a shorter time so your screen switches off soon after you stop using it.

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Plan your work day

Work out what you need to do and what you need for the day so you can switch printers, scanners and other equipment off at the wall when you’re not using them. You could put these devices on a separate power board so you can turn them off when you need your computer on.

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Light your workspace

Let in natural light when you can - or consider using a lamp rather than lighting up the whole room.

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Screen for efficiency

Screen size matters. The bigger your screen, generally the more electricity it is likely to need, so choose the right size for your needs.

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Check your hot water thermostat

The most energy efficient temperature for your hot water system is usually 60ºC.

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Give your hot water system a holiday

When you go away, consider turning your hot water system off so it’s not using electricity while you’re away. Always check the manual for manufacturer's recommendations. Remember to set yourself a reminder to switch it back on when you get home!

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Use your hot water tech

If your hot water system has a timer, you could reduce the electricity it uses by lowering the temperature during certain times of the day.

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Consider solar power hot water systems

A solar hot water system will use the sun’s energy to heat your water, which means you could use less electricity to heat your water.

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Use a cold water connection for your dishwasher

Your dishwasher is likely to heat the water during the washing process. A cold water connection could help you to save on water heating costs.

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Try shorter showers

Every minute your shower runs is another minute of water use and water heating costs. Commit to shorter showers and you could improve your energy efficiency and reduce your water use.

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Set your dishwasher timer

If you have solar power, set your dishwasher to come on during the day when your solar energy production is high. That way, you can make the most of your solar energy rather than relying on the grid if your dishwasher runs overnight.

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Clean your dishwasher filter

Your dishwasher cleans dishes, not itself. Keeping the filter clean will help it to run in the most efficient way.

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Pack a full load

Running your dishwasher with a full load is the most energy efficient way to use it.

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Choose the right pots and pans

Use pots and pans with tight fitting lids and flat bases which cover the entire hotplate. This will help you to prevent energy loss during the cooking process.

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Enjoy the great outdoors

Give your electric appliances a break and use your BBQ to cook dinner one night a week.

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Consider an upgrade

If you’ve had your fridge or dishwasher for a while, there’s probably a more energy-efficient model available today. When it’s time for an upgrade, check the energy star ratings.

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Save boiling power

Only fill your kettle with the amount of water you need. If you fill it each time and don’t use it all, the water you don’t use will just get cold and need to be heated again.

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Don't charge 24/7

Chargers can slowly leak energy when they are left on. Switch them off at the wall when you’re not charging up.

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Clean your rangehood or exhaust fan

Removing grease from the vents will keep your rangehood running efficiently.

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Check your oven seal

Heat can escape from your oven seal, which could mean your oven uses more electricity. Check your oven seal is in good condition and replace if needed.

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Use your oven window

If you want to check your masterpiece-in-the-making, look through the window rather than opening the oven door. Each time you open the door, hot air escapes which means your oven needs to use more energy to heat up again.

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Put your air fryer to work

Since your air fryer is compact and doesn’t need a lot of preheating time, it’s likely to use less electricity than your oven. Consider what you can cook in your air fryer when you’re planning your meals.

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Make the most of your microwave

Your microwave is likely to use a lot less energy than your oven, so use it for cooking and reheating when you can.

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Switch the microwave off at the wall

When your microwave is on standby, it’s just an expensive clock. Only switch it on when you need it.

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