Electricity bills are never welcome when they land on our doormats or in our inboxes but did you know that there are plenty ways you can reduce the shock factor when it comes to paying for your power? Richtek Electrical give their handy hints for you to reduce your electricity expenditure.
How Much and How Long?
Most of us take our electrical appliances for granted and use them as and when we feel like it, but if you want to save money, it’s important to take a good look at the electrical appliances in your home and consider how you use them. While it’s true that a kettle uses roughly the same amount of current as heater, you only use your kettle in short blasts. However, when it’s cold, you might have your heater on all day, meaning the bill rises as fast as the temperature does!
The Guilty Parties
Heaters, especially element heaters aren’t the only electrical appliances that send those electricity bills soaring. These days most of us live our lives online and multi-function printers, Wi-Fi routers and computers on charge are a big drain on our pockets when it comes to electricity bills. And even if it’s not in use, leaving your Hi-Fi, surround sound system or games console on standby will get your bill clocking up. In Perth, pool pumps left on all the time are another red alert and if you keep fish, the bigger the tank, the bigger your water-heating costs will be. Drying clothes and crockery is also an expensive area, with both tumble dryers and dishwashers using considerable amounts of power. Halogen lights are also an issue because not only are they expensive to run, usually multiple lights are needed per room.
What’s the Alternative?
If you want to save money on your electricity bills, going back to basics is a great place to start. Get organised so that you can dry your washing outside instead of rushing to dry that shirt in the tumble dryer at the last minute. In the chillier months, using a gas or real fire is a cost-effective way to heat a room and how about that old tip of layering up with a cosy jumper and thick socks instead of reaching for the heating control or electric blanket? Bar heaters are incredibly expensive to use as they use full current at all times, so consider an alternative such as an oil heater, which is slower to heat up but burns less money. When it comes to cooking, use the stove top where possible instead of heating up the electric oven or switching on the microwave. And when it comes to firing up the dishwasher, why not do the dishes by hand or at least wait until the dishwasher is full before you switch it on? And it’s hardly a lightbulb moment, but switching lights, TVs and radios off when you leave a room is an obvious but often-forgotten way to get those bills down.
Get Smart
As well as the old-fashioned ways to save power, these days you can cut that bill by taking advantage of tech. For a reliable electrician, Perth is served by Richtek Electrical, who can advise you on all aspects of your domestic electricity needs. This could include taking a look at your appliances and advising on how you can use electricity more efficiently and cheaply. For example, did you know that you can save significant sums by installing in-line power timers? These handy devices enable you to switch off electricity-guzzling devices when you are not using them – typically overnight. Generally speaking, any device that uses large amounts of standby power through a remote control such as TVs, games consoles, surround sound and printers will draw a large amount of electricity, so letting these appliances sleep when you do, means you stop spending unnecessary dollars.
Bright Ideas
When it comes to the services of a domestic electrician, Perth has many demands, but these days switching clients over from incandescent to LED lights is one of the most popular ones. Turning off the lights when you’re not in the room or indulging in a bit of romantic candlelight may be the number one way to get those bills down, but upgrading your lighting system will help you cut your bills as well as brighten up your living space. This is because energy-efficient LED downlights use an amazing 1/6 of the energy consumed by traditional lighting. Not only that, they don’t constantly break and need replacing due to the heat generated in their use like old-fashioned halogens. And don’t forget an LED TV is more energy efficient than a plasma one.
Short’n’Sweet
Lots of us like to take a long shower to get revved up for the day or wind down from a work out, but unfortunately this indulgence equates to dollars down the drain. This is because not only are instantaneous water heating systems expensive to run, our storage hot water systems also cost a lot to replenish every time someone lingers too long in the bathroom. So, to save money, make it a house rule to make showers as brief as possible. And why not switch off your water heating system next time you’re away?
Be a Power Detective
Another great way to reduce expenditure is to have a cent-o-meter installed to your main switchboard. This way you’ll be able to monitor your electricity usage whenever you need to. Not only that, you’ll soon be able to spot patterns that will tell you what the main drains on power and your finances are. This means you can take action by getting the whole family to use the old-school tips above to get those bills back to a figure you can live with.
For a 24 hour electrician in Perth, Richtek Electrical are on hand for all your electrical needs, so contact us now for friendly, expert service you can rely on.
