Winter in Brisbane can hit us poor heat seeking Brisbanian’s hard, and it’s very easy to drive up the costs of your household if you give in to the enticing warmth of the all-night heater. But if you don’t want to end up with an astronomical electricity bill this Spring, try out some of our tips below for keeping the costs down when the thermostat heads towards single digits.
Dress up
The most obvious option is to dress appropriately and get your family to dress appropriately. No doubt everyone has caught the teenager in shorts and a shirt sunning themselves in front of the heater and complaining of the cold – hiding the heater in the back of the cupboard can help with this! Layering clothes is the go here as the variation in temperature can be large from afternoon to night in Brisbane.
Clean up
Take a leaf from the camper’s book of tricks – get warm and stay warm. Get young kids bathed early, but also encourage everyone to get showered and dressed in the first layer at least – it is far easier to stay warm than it is to get warm after your body temperature has dropped. Never underestimate the power of a beanie and socks for keeping things extra toasty!
Embrace your inner ‘Nanna’
Rather than having a heater on, keep a stash of blankets on the couch in the bedroom and even in a basket next to the dining room table – there’s nothing cuter than a ‘nanna’ blanket in winter, and it encourages everyone to rug up rather than put on the heater and chew into those precious dollars.
Dial down the Heat
Energy.gov.au rates water heating as the second largest cause of energy use in normal households and also the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from our households! You can keep your costs lower by dialling down the thermostat on your water heater – this will limit how hot the water gets saving you money on every litre you utilise. Depending on your type of system, between 50 and 60 degrees will be optimal.
Go back to the good old days
Remember when your mum used to tuck a hot water bottle into bed with you? Rather than turn on that costly electric blanket or heater, why not fill up a hot water bottle and tuck it in bed – you’ll be toasty and warm with no need for added cost. Up your sustainability factor by using the water from the bottle on the plants in the morning.
Hide from the draughts
It’s amazing what a difference a draught can make in chilling you to the bone. Before you turn on the heater make sure you’ve blocked all sources of a chilly wind – add draught stoppers to external doors and windows and if you’re a home owner rather than a renter, you can go one step further and look at permanent insulation options.
Of course, checking that you have the best deal on electricity can further reduce your spend, but starting with our basic heat-saving tips above will ensure you are not throwing your dollars away unnecessarily this winter.
If you liked this article, why not check out our 5 tips for cutting down your families waste?
Happy Earth!
