As the days get shorter and the weather begins to cool down, your household energy usage naturally shifts. It’s a great time to review your household energy habits and identify potential savings. Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered - read on for some practical tips to save energy and money during autumn.
Habits
During the milder months of spring and autumn, our energy use tends to drop, providing the potential for big savings. Many of our everyday activities and habits seem small but positive tweaks can add up over time, which can result in big savings to energy and to your wallet.
Let’s explore in more detail.
Rethink using the A/C
As the weather changes, there’s no need to be uncomfortable (or to use energy-hungry A/C if you don’t need to). Instead of reaching for that remote, add another layer of clothing or swap your Crocs for socks! Of course, if the weather heats up again you can always remove layers to keep yourself comfortable and open doors and windows to let the breeze in . You might also change your bedding, opting for warmer sheets/ blankets/ doonas in the cooler weather.
Throw a blanket or two onto the couch for those cooler nights and keep it cosy.
Keep the warm air in by closing those curtains before it gets cool and consider closing off the parts of the house that don’t need to be warm at night.
On the subject of A/C and heaters, autumn is a great time to do any required maintenance on those appliances and make sure they’re in tip-top condition before the colder months arrive!
Be smart with appliances
Standby power can account for 10 percent of your household energy use, so get into the habit of turning off appliances at the wall.
Clothes dryers can also chew through your household energy, so plan ahead and use clothes racks indoors, protected clothes lines or the beautiful sunshine while it’s available.
With shorter days, it’s also likely you’ll be using indoor lighting for longer periods. Consider investing in more energy-efficient globes, like CFLs and LEDs the next time you need to replace one.
Don’t get into hot water!
Staying in the shower can use 20x as much energy as standing under two heat lamps - so avoid using the shower purely to get warm! Instead, stash your bathrobe and some fluffy slippers nearby and bundle up to stay warm.
Review your energy needs
At this time of the year, do an energy audit of your home - which appliances are used the most, and could they be used more efficiently? Are there any older appliances that are due to be replaced with newer, more efficient options? For example, do you really need that second fridge running now that summer is over?
What’s more, take a closer look at the times of day you’re using the most energy and which Time of Use tariffs are available for you to take advantage of.
Home improvements
Autumn is a great opportunity to step back and consider any upgrades you could make to your home, to set yourself up for the colder months.
Windows
Windows are a key area of the home that transmits heat and cool from the outside in (and vice versa). Invest in the best quality curtains and blinds you can afford, to help keep the warm air in during cooler months (and hot air out during those hotter seasons).
It’s also a great idea to invest in double glazing for your windows, to add to your home’s insulation credentials.
Seal draughts
It may sound too simple, but sealing those gaps around doors, windows, architraves, skirting boards and floorboards can make a noticeable difference to your indoor temperature. Sealing gaps can save you on heating bills (by up to one quarter!). And best of all, they are affordable to buy and easy to install.
Adhesive foam strips can be used to fill any gaps between a window and its frame, or around doors. Grab a fun door snake to stop any draughts coming in under doors.
You can read more about creating a sustainable home in this article.
Optimise with solar energy
If you really want to supercharge your savings, get strategic with solar (and a battery)!
The milder weather provides a great opportunity for strong solar generation and lower energy usage. Make sure you’re using your electric appliances during those sun-filled hours wherever possible. You can read all about which appliances can run on solar in this Plico article.
Autumn is also a great time for solar + battery owners to maximise their savings. We hear from our members that they maximise their savings in autumn, waking up to charge in their batteries, and exporting more excess solar during the day. The milder weather and strong sunshine means more solar generation, more storage and less reliance on the grid. And that means big savings!
Autumn is a great time to review your household energy use and set yourself up to use less and/or save more. When it comes to winter, we’ve got some tips for you in this article!
If you don’t yet have solar, talk to Plico today about how much you could save.
Don’t delay - book in your obligation-free call today. You can view our different solar + battery systems by clicking here or calculate your projected savings with our Solar Savings Calculator. You can also get in touch with one of our switched-on team members by calling 1300 175 426 to see how a solar + battery system can help you save.
