Making changes to the way you use electricity could help you save on your next electricity bill.

Here are a few simple ideas for your home:

• Turn appliances off at the wall (even standby mode uses energy).
• Use a power board to supply electricity to more than one appliance.
• turn off lights in rooms where you don’t need them on.
• Change your light bulbs to compact fluorescent energy saving globes.
• Consider using spotlights or lamps instead of using main lights.
• Avoid cheap little heaters. The one-off savings you make on the purchase may turn out to be a long-term drain on your energy usage.
• Microwaves use less electricity than an oven.
• Turn your heaters off when you go to bed.
• Use economy cycles on your dishwasher and washing machine.
• Wash your clothes using cold water
• Set your fridge temperature to 4-5 degrees and your freezer temperature between -15 and -18 degrees Celsius.

Visit these sites for electricity saving ideas:

sustainability.vic.gov.au
energyrating.gov.au

victorianenergysaver.vic.govt.au

Did you know, some Federal and State Governments offer financial rebates for upgrading to an environmentally friendly hot water system? Check out www.hotwaterrebate.com.au

Visit this energy saving tip guide for more information.

Smart meters are two-way digital meters that measure and record electricity usage (per kWh) every 30 minutes. This data is automatically sent to the electricity distributor or energy retailer. For more information please see our article on smart meters.