7 ways a home energy audit can shower you in cash

A home energy audit may not be at the top of your list of ‘fun things to do this week’ but if you’d like more money to do more fun stuff, you might want to pull up your socks, suck your belly in, tighten your belt and take heed of these smart tips on how to put your cash in your stash.

What on earth is a home energy audit?

This audit will study the habits of the big and little people who live in your home – including yourself! It will help you understand your home and its occupants better and which money-sucking habits are wrecking those important potential savings.

Here’s what an audit looks at:

• 38% heating and cooling
• 25% water heating
• 16% Other appliances
• 7% Fridge/freezer
• 7% Lighting
• 4% Cooking
• 3% Stand by power

Here’s a visual of how to save energy in your home:

7 ways a home energy audit can shower you in cash

1. Heating and cooling

The next time you consider skipping the simple act of putting on slippers to stay warm, or spraying yourself with some icy mist to stay cool, you might want to suck up this incredible statistic:

Fact:

Heating and cooling gobbles up 38% of home energy.

Think of your heating or cooling switch as a reverse ATM. Every time you put your finger on that control switch (and especially to crank it up), that switch is sucking money directly out of bank account.

Here are a few quick tips to start making savings today:

Heating:

• Do this: Walk up to your bedroom and grab those slippers and an extra jumper. Get your kids to put their Onsies on. Turn the heater down or off – especially in Spring & Autumn.
• Don’t do this: Leave the house or the room and forget to turn the heating off.
• Do this: Make use of cross breezes, the suns path, and natural shading where possible to maintain a comfortable temperature. Get the kids a spray bottle each and a kiddie pool.
• Don’t do this: Sit in airconditioning for entire days in summer. Seek out free and cool places to hang out – like under the shade of a tree outside or head to the beach for a day.

Cooling:

• Do this: Make use of cross breezes, the suns path, and natural shading where possible to maintain a comfortable temperature. Get the kids a spray bottle each and a kiddie pool.
• Don’t do this: Sit in airconditioning for entire days in summer. Seek out free and cool places to hang out – like under the shade of a tree outside or head to the beach for a day.

2. Water heating

Heating water uses a large portion of the energy pie

Fact:

An average bath uses 80 litres of water, a power shower can be 136, and an efficient showerhead hovers around 70 litres per 8 minutes.

Do this:

Check the efficiency of your hot water system and invest in water saving devices.

Don’t do this:

• Take long showers twice a day
• Put your child in the shower and forget to tell them to get out

Hot tip:

When my kids are taking too long in the shower, I tell them they are spending their Christmas presents. The speed at which they exit the shower always amazes me. Beats nagging J.

3. Other Appliances

‘Other appliances’ includes the TV, computers, washing machine, dishwasher and any other electrical devices. (Devices except the fridge, freezer and cooking appliances.)

Do this:

• Check energy ratings and estimate if there are any appliances that are using more than their share, whether from overuse or being left on stand-by (which uses 3% extra alone).
• Invest in energy saving switches and devices.
• Leave TV’s around the home blaring when no one is watching them.
• Run your dishwasher and washing machine frequently during peak times.
• Change to more efficient LED bulbs
• Make sure lights are not left on while not in use.
• Invest in smart timers
• Train people in the house to turn the things off
• Leave all the lights on in the house at once
• Walk around the house switching lights off – as a habit

Don’t do this:

• Leave TV’s around the home blaring when no one is watching them.
• Run your dishwasher and washing machine frequently during peak times.

4. Lighting

Do this:

• Change to more efficient LED bulbs
• Make sure lights are not left on while not in use.
• Invest in smart timers
• Train people in the house to turn the things off
• Leave all the lights on in the house at once
• Walk around the house switching lights off – as a habit

Don’t do this

• Leave all the lights on in the house at once
• Walk around the house switching lights off – as a habit

5. Fridge / freezer

Fact:

Fridges and freezers alone account for 7% of total home energy consumption.

Do this:

• Only run a secondary appliance where necessary
• Make sure the temperature is correctly set (Fridges: 3° to 5°C, freezers: -15° to -18° C) to keep food fresh whilst using less energy.
• Maintain seals and defrost regularly if the freezer is not frost-free, also try to locate the appliance in a cooler, well-ventilated area.
• Stuff so much stuff in your fridge or freezer that it works inefficiently
• Have too many fridges around. E.g The beer fridge.
• Turn off extra fridges (e.g The beer fridge) when not in use
• Use lids on pans and make sure the lid fits the pan
• Partly cook food in the microwave
• Cook in bulk on the weekend
• Cook more than one meal at once in the oven and freeze for later
• Boil food on the stove for longer than necessary
• Use pots bigger than the item in question
• Leave an oven on for longer than necessary
• Pre-heat ovens for longer than necessary
• Turn appliances off at the wall
• Use switches to put your appliances on standby
• Get into the habit of switching stuff off
• Run your old house on old technology
• Leave televisions and home appliances on at the wall at all times

Don’t do this

• Stuff so much stuff in your fridge or freezer that it works inefficiently
• Have too many fridges around. E.g The beer fridge.
• Turn off extra fridges (e.g The beer fridge) when not in use

6. Cooking

Do this:

• Use lids on pans and make sure the lid fits the pan
• Partly cook food in the microwave
• Cook in bulk on the weekend
• Cook more than one meal at once in the oven and freeze for later
• Boil food on the stove for longer than necessary
• Use pots bigger than the item in question
• Leave an oven on for longer than necessary
• Pre-heat ovens for longer than necessary

Don’t do this:

• Boil food on the stove for longer than necessary
• Use pots bigger than the item in question
• Leave an oven on for longer than necessary
• Pre-heat ovens for longer than necessary

7. Stand-by power

Do this:

• Turn appliances off at the wall
• Use switches to put your appliances on standby
• Get into the habit of switching stuff off
• Run your old house on old technology
• Leave televisions and home appliances on at the wall at all times

Don’t do this:

• Run your old house on old technology
• Leave televisions and home appliances on at the wall at all times

There are also several factors to consider when choosing your energy plan:

Saving energy is a combination of common sense and getting into good habits. An energy audit will you discover where savings can be made. If you find that you are not best served by your current energy tariff, contact your electricity provider to discuss you options.

Finally

Get the family involved and help them understand how their habits are affecting the household. If necessary, tie the savings to important rewards – like Christmas! Seems harsh – but tough love sure pays off on Christmas day when your kid gets the Xbox he wants.

Live a better day. Do more fun stuff. You’ll thank yourself….

Do you have any awesome energy saving tips? Please leave them in comments below.

More resources in the Savings Room

• 130 easy ways to save on electricity and gas
• 120 wise ways to save on water

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