How to keep electricity costs down while keeping cool this summer

Summertime is fun time in Australia. We relax, head for the beach, go camping and fire up the barbie. But chilling out can come at a cost in the form of a hefty electricity bill.

Mitsubishi

Summertime is fun time in Australia. We relax, head for the beach, go camping and fire up the barbie. But chilling out can come at a cost in the form of a hefty electricity bill.

Summertime is fun time in Australia. We relax, head for the beach, go camping and fire up the barbie.

But chilling out can come at a cost in the form of a hefty electricity bill.

Household power consumption usually spikes dramatically in summer as weeks of increased air conditioner use, ramping up the pool filter, washing towels, entertaining and device-addicted kids suck energy out of the grid.

The rising cost of electricity has become a major issue for Australians as politicians grapple with how best to maintain supply while managing the transition to renewables however in the meantime, there are plenty of things we can do as individuals to reduce energy consumption, keep our power bills down while keeping our house cool.

The good folk at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air-Conditioners Australia share 10 things you can do to make your home energy-efficient this summer:

WRAP IT UP

Ever wondered why nomadic Arabs are covered head-to-toe in robes in the desert? Insulation. Those layers keep their body temperature regulated to a comfortable level, repelling the harsher outside heat extremes. The same principle applies to dwellings.

Make sure you have blinds and curtains to cover windows and glass doors during the day. Glass readily conducts heat so blocking the sun from entering your house is a smart move.

MINIMISE THE AMOUNT OF SPACE YOU’RE TRYING TO COOL

While it seems obvious, reducing the amount of space that your air conditioner is trying to cool is one of the most effective ways to cool your home with more efficiency. The less space your air conditioner is trying to keep cool, the less amount of time it’ll need to run and the less energy it’ll consume.

Only cool the spaces that are being used and close any open doors and block off any entrance ways that may allow the cold air to escape – especially important if you’re trying to cool an area within a double storey house.

SPEAKING OF INSULATION …

If you haven’t got effective insulation in your roof cavity you’re going to be baking. The sun hitting the roof heats the air in the ceiling to levels much higher than the outside temperature and without a layer of protective insulation that hot air will radiate down into your living spaces.

DINE AL FRESCO

If you have a barbecue set up outside, use it. A lot.

Cooking inside with ovens or hotplates is a surefire way to kick the thermometer up a couple of notches. Microwave ovens come into their own for cooking inside this time of year.

NIGHT MOVES

Appliances such as washing machines, dryers and dishwashers pump out heat when operating. Try to limit their use to night time, and only when they are full.

Set your pool pump to run at off-peak times early in the morning and late at night when power is cheaper. But if you have solar power, do the opposite - run the pool filter during the day while you are generating your own electricity and not siphoning it off the grid.

GET YOUR AIR CONDITIONER SERVICED

Just like a car, your air conditioner will work best if it’s tuned by a professional. A technician will be able to check its inner workings, gas levels and a range of other things to ensure the unit is running at peak efficiency. Once the unit is deemed shipshape, check its vents aren’t obstructed by furniture or curtains and is directing air to the centre of the room.

COOL AID

Fans — pedestal or ceiling — are a huge help in managing the temperature inside your house. Using them in conjunction with a Mitsubishi air conditioner increases the circulation of cool air throughout the house. It means you can also set the aircon temperature a couple of degrees higher — saving power — and still remain comfortable.

LIGHTEN UP

Switch to LED lights. They may be more expensive than other bulbs (although they are getting cheaper as time goes on) but you’ll save in the long run because they chew up a fraction of the power the old lights do and they last a lot longer. They are also cool, in the true sense of the word, radiating little heat.

POWER DOWN

Devices like computers, televisions, microwaves, scanners, phone chargers and printers suck up power — lots of it — even when sitting idle. Switch off appliances at the socket to significantly reduce household energy consumption.

Oh, and don’t forget to turn off the light when you leave a room.

BECOME A CONTROL FREAK

Learn to use the timer and scheduling function on your air conditioner so you can set the unit to switch off automatically when it’s not needed, such as in the middle of the night or during the day when no one is home.