Energy savings for the long weekend

The long weekend is here, and many Australians are likely about to jaunt off on a quick break to make the most of the extended time off.

A study from Roy Morgan Research back in 2014 found that April is a popular choice for holidays, as it coincides with the school holidays and comes at a time when the weather is still quite nice - although winter is just around the corner. Roy Morgan explained that 15 per cent of the Australian population were planning to take a holiday this month.

If you're about to go away, take a quick look at our useful energy tips to consider before leaving home.

 

Use solar for outdoor lighting

We're not talking about using solar panels for lights here, but rather lights with tiny solar panels embedded directly on top of the bulb housing. Instead of having to wire outdoor lights into your home electricity grid, you simply pop them in the ground wherever they can receive sunlight.  During the day, the solar panels charge small batteries within the light. At night, the battery uses this clean (and free) solar energy to power the bulb.

The Department of Energy noted the benefits of these lights, explaining that they're a largely maintenance free and easy to install option.

Switch off the water heater

There's nothing better than hopping into a hot shower at the end of the day, but your hot water is largely useless when you're away on a holiday. While in colder parts of the world it's a good idea to keep the hot water heater on to stop water from freezing, you can avoid this here in beautiful WA.

Before heading out the door, switch off your hot water heater. This way, you won't need to pay while you're away to keep the water in the tank hot.

Turn off that second fridge

We get it: following a dinner with extended family or a holiday you'll likely have a lot of food left over. The answer tends to be plugging in another fridge in the garage or basement. Additional fridges can be pretty significant power users, however, so it may be time to make a few changes at home.

Instead of having a fridge plugged in throughout the year, plug it in only when you actually need it. For example, if Christmas is coming up, plug the fridge in a few days early to prepare it for the leftovers. Once the space is no longer needed, you can unplug the fridge and reduce unnecessary electricity.

Turn off all your appliances at the wall

Our last tip is also one of the simplest. Appliances consume power even if they're in standby mode, so switch them off at the wall prior to leaving for the weekend. You can leave an alarm clock or fridge plugged in, but it's appliances like TVs, computers and game consoles that you'll want to switch off at the wall.
In many cases, new appliances can even turn themselves on and use power when they need it. Certain video game consoles for example, can turn on from standby modes to download updates.

What we do

A well-deserved break is here, so make sure you keep our tips in mind. The only thing sweeter than an extended break from the daily grind is savings on your energy bill. To learn more about power in WA, as well as other ways to save month to month, reach out to Synergy today.

 

 

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Synergy acknowledges the Traditional Custodians throughout Western Australia and their continuing connection to the land, water and community. We pay our respects to all members of the Aboriginal communities and their cultures; and to Elders past, present and emerging.