Bring Down Your Power Bill

1. Bring down your power bill as much as you can.

• Change your bulbs - How many pretty faces does it take to change a light bulb? check out this clip, "The Bulb" with Natalie, Kyra and Chloe.
  At the moment the best thing to do is change your bulbs from candescent to compact fluoro or LED. The technology will be continually updated as to which is the best. Ours have been in for a while and the bill is definitely less. Together with other changes we will be saving money. Note: In NSW and ACT a company called Envirosaver will come to your house and install light bulbs and shower heads for free and give advice on other energy and water saving stuff. They will claim carbon credits but heck you get the free service- win/win/win. Customer/business/environment. However check on customer service availability down the track when they need disposing of correctly.
  
• Turn off lights not in use - simple.
  
• Use garden solar lights- but be careful. They are vulnerable to kids and footballs.
  
• Turn off all standbys and power points when not in use. Did you know that all the rechargers that are on at the wall use the same amount of electricity whether the phone, iPod is there or not. Ouch!
  
• Slow down on your house air conditioning and house heating. Install insulation and check for cracks in your house.
  
• Turn off TV- maybe 1 hour per night and someone in the family read. OR play Charades or Poker- heaps more fun.
  
• When needing to purchase a new appliance- check star rating, try to go for 4 1/2 or 5 if you can- they are becoming more and more efficient.
  
• Check hot water systems- turn to off peak, turn down temperature or have shorter showers with the appropriate showerhead. Apparently water heating is a huge contributor to the problem.
  Consider Gas or even better- Solar for next system.
  
• Use cold water in the wash and try to do full loads.
  
• Slow down on the dryer- hang clothes on the line and they will smell and feel so much better. In winter get hubby or handyman to rig up a drying room. (maybe near the hot water system or new room powered by solar)
• Fill dishwasher full before turning on.
  
• STOP all housework and ironing! Just kidding but I'm sure we could slow down on that obsession. Great excuse not to acquire that unattainable dream of perfection that our mum's were trying in the 50's and 60's. Maybe use a fibre floor cleaner like Enjo- Click here - they actually pick up more of the finer dirt and use a dustpan and brush for the big chunks, then Vac. when needed. As far as ironing- what's that, I only iron cotton shirts. Remember you can drip dry on the line. Or put the clothes straight out when the machine is finished and tell your husband to shake the clothes when hanging- we're saving the planet.