Ways to reduce energy usage in Autumn

Autumn is here, which means the mornings are getting cooler and the days are getting milder. We can start using the air conditioning less and thankfully there are also other ways we can reduce our energy usage around the home, which in turn will help reduce our bills.

Thanks to Your Energy Savings, here’s some quick tips on reducing energy usage at home:

• In warmer climates such as Perth, set your cooling to 25–27 degrees Celsius. For every degree you increase your heating and cooling you increase your energy use by around 5 to 10 per cent.
• Instead of turning the heater on or up on those chilly mornings, bring out your warmer clothing for use around the home. Pull on a jumper, a pair of socks and slippers; draw the curtains in the early evening to keep the days warmth in and think about whether you need to heat the entire house.
• Get into the habit of using appliances efficiently. No matter how obvious it seems, doing the basics like turning appliances off at the wall when they're not in use makes a difference as standby power can account for more than 10 per cent of your household electricity use.
• Clothes dryers are big energy users, so why not use clothes racks on verandahs, indoors in your already heated rooms, or outdoors while the good weather lasts?
• Hot water accounts for a large chunk of your power bill, so avoid the habit of using the shower to get warm. Staying in the shower uses up to 20 times as much energy as hopping out under two heat lamps instead. Even an additional few minutes can make a difference to your power bill, so keep a bathrobe and slippers handy and stay warm that way.
• Swapping short car trips for walking or cycling is a great way to balance out the shift to more food and cooked meals. It's good for the environment, good for your health, and a great way to get the most of the good weather while it lasts.