Home energy management action plan: Part 1

Understanding energy management and your energy consumption

It’s no secret the cost of living is rising. There’s not always much you can do about price rises, such as the cost of petrol, but you may be able to take action to help manage some of your costs. If you’re looking for ways to help manage your energy consumption and electricity costs, creating your own home energy management action plan could be the best place to start.

Whether you’re already taking steps to reduce your energy use or you’re new to the idea of energy management, we’re here to help you create a plan of action.
In this three-part blog series, we’ll explore: 

 

What is energy management?

Energy management looks different to every household - but generally it relates to monitoring, controlling, and conserving the energy you use in and around your home. This could involve anything from investing in new energy efficient appliances or understanding your electricity consumption data, to designing a new home build with energy management systems in place from the start.

By being proactive about your energy management, you can learn more about the way you’re using energy - and take steps to reduce the energy you use around your home. This could also help reduce your home’s carbon emissions.

The importance of energy management

Taking charge of your energy use could be a way to help manage your electricity bill, reduce your carbon emissions, make the most of your solar system or learn more about your energy consumption. Whatever your reasons, it’s important to know what you want to achieve - and why.

Try this: Set a relevant energy goal to work towards, for example, reducing your overall energy consumption by 10%, or consuming more of the energy your solar system produces. 

How to understand your energy consumption

The more you know about your energy consumption, the more control you could have over your energy management.

Conduct an energy audit yourself – or speak to a professional – to help you understand which appliances and systems are using the most energy in your home. Once you know what your electricity consumption looks like, you can look for opportunities to make changes. For example, you could make a plan to reduce your use, make upgrades to your space or replace inefficient appliances.

If you have solar panels, check your solar dashboard or app to learn when your system is most effective and how much of that energy you’re using, versus exporting back to the grid.

Try this: Use our Synergy Energy Tool to compare your electricity bill to other homes around the same size.

Take the next steps

Now that you know what energy management involves - and how to understand your energy consumption at home - you might feel inspired to take the next steps in your home energy management planning journey.

Check out Part 2: Practical ways to take action to make some practical changes in the way you manage your energy at home.

Related content

Back to top