5 new ways to save money on your power bill

Power Saving Tip 1 – Climate Control
Controlling the temperature in your home can use over 40% of your total power bill depending on the climate that you live in, so it is important to be conscious of the way you manage temperature in your home. The simplest and most cost efficient method I have found to reduce my energy bill has been through the use of a programmable thermostat. These simple devices are programmable based on time of the day (adjusting for your working hours etc) and can even adjust based on the temperature outside your home. Studies have shown that this can reduce your consumption for climate control by as much as 30%. Also, please consider using your ceiling fans as an alternative to your air conditioner.

Power Saving Tip 2 – Use Hot Water Jackets
These simple devices are so simple and cheap however when I visit houses I never see them and cant believe my eyes. They can be picked up for $10 -$30 from your local hardware store and can make a 10% difference in the amount of energy that is used by your hot water system. The concept of these jackets are simple, they prevent the heat loss that occurs from your hot water system caused by the cooler ambient temperature on the outside of the system

Power Saving Tip 3 – Use Power Boards on your appliances
Most modern appliances such as televisions and DVD players all have standby modes that reduce the amount of power that they are drawing when not in use. However what most people don’t realize is that the amount of power that is still drawn when devices are in standby mode is still rather significant. With the reduction in the price of technology, most households have more and more gadgets and appliances that are constantly plugged in to the system which multiples the wastage effect. If you use power boards to connect your devices and get in to the habit of turning off your devices from one central point such as your entertainment unit in your lounge room when it is not in use, this can have a significant impact on the amount of power you are wasting.

Power Saving Tip 4 – CFL’s
If you are not already using compact florescent light bulbs (CFL’s) you should be. Whilst these lights cost a little more then the traditional light bulb, they last 10 times longer and only use a third of the power. Imagine the energy savings that you could achieve if you were able to cut the amount energy used by lighting your home by a third of what it is currently.

Power Tip 5 – The Silver Bullet – Solar Energy
Using solar power in my home has completely eliminated my power bills, in fact some months I am able to sell my excess power that I don’t use back to the grid. When I tell most people about this, they always think that I have gone out and spent a fortune on a professional solar power installation. The truth is I built them myself, and they did not cost me a fortune either. I am no handyman, but I found a resource which showed me how to do it step by step, it was so simple my 11 year old