2. Be aware of ‘vampire energy’ consumption.
Even when appliances are not in use, they continue to consume electricity. Phone chargers are particularly bad, consuming 0.26 watts every hour they are left idle, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, while fully charged phones that are still connected can account for more than 2 watts per hour. Best to switch off all devices at the power point – and potentially save more than $200 a year.
| Appliance/mode | Average power consumption  |
| Mobile phone charger | |
| On, charged | 2.24 |
| On, charging | 3.68 |
| Power supply only | 0.26 |
| LCD monitor | |
| Off | 1.13 |
| On | 27.61 |
| Sleep | 1.38 |
| Laptop computer | |
| Fully on, charged | 29.48 |
| Fully on, charging | 44.28 |
| Off | 8.9 |
| Power supply only | 4.42 |
| Sleep | 15.77 |
| Inkjet printer | |
| Off | 1.26 |
| On | 4.93 |
| Amplifier | |
| On, not playing | 33.99 |
| On, playing | 39.16 |
| Off | 0.27 |
| Game console | |
| Active | 26.98 |
| Off | 1.01 |
| Ready | 23.34 |
| Garage door opener | |
| Ready | 4.48 |
| Microwave oven | |
| Ready, door closed | 3.08 |
| Ready, door open | 25.79 |
| Cooking | 1433 |
6. Use energy out of peak times.
Under some contracts, energy can cost you less if you use it outside the peak times – usually from 10pm to 7am, says the NSW government’s Energy Saver website. Put everything – such as washing machines, dishwashers and pool pumps – on timers to make everything work more efficiently, and cheaply, off-peak, advises Kelly.
7. Close doors and windows to keep heat in.
Using door snakes and rugs and closing the curtains or putting down blinds earlier at night can cut out draughts and make a room feel warmer, says Baker.
9. Check older appliances.
They consume more energy than newer models and so it might be worthwhile replacing them with better energy-star-rated ones. For example, Baker says, a TV with a seven-star label of 213 kilowatt-hours a year on a rate of 28.55 cents can cost about $61 a year to run, while a three-star label could set households back $148 annually. Fridges and freezers can also be run on temperatures slightly warmer than usual when the weather is cool.
12. Invest in solar.
There are a lot of Federal Government solar incentives on offer at the moment, and solar itself is getting cheaper and cheaper, says Chris Williams of Natural Solar. “You can see a return on your investment as quickly as two to three years, while the average is four to five,” he says. “There are also sizeable rebates on batteries in Victoria and South Australia so you can store and use solar power at other times of the day, and interest-free loans in NSW. The goal is to get your electricity bills as close to zero as possible.”
13. Check windows and doors.
If they don’t fit well or are of lower glazing quality, it might be worthwhile considering replacing your windows and doors. Windowline, for instance, says it chooses its products for durability, wind load, thermal efficiency and acoustic performance.
read all 14 at: https://www.domain.com.au/money-markets/how-to-slash-energy-costs-while-staying-home-1082578/?utm_campaign=featured-masthead&utm_source=smh&utm_medium=link
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