5 Surprising Hacks For Saving Power In Your Home

Every year Australian households could be saving hundreds of dollars on their power bills.  Here are a few simple tricks that Nectar recommends to try in your own home – some may surprise you!

1) Don’t overcharge your devices

Rest easy whilst charging your phone!
Studies show that nearly 50% of us are overcharging our devices.  As well as increasing the power bill this can also deteriorate the battery life of some products.  To avoid this – install a timing device at the wall to automatically disconnect the power to your device once finished charging.   You’ll be saving yourself money and the stress of having your phone dying on you!

2) Use the dishwasher

Sick of hand washing your dishes? Time to rejoice!
Using a dishwasher to clean your plates actually uses far less energy than washing them by hand, saving you on your power and water bills.  Furthermore, failing to rinse your dishes in the sink before placing them in the dishwasher does not cause the appliance to work harder. Myth busted! In fact, this unnecessary step can waste an extra 60 liters of hot water per day! Running your dishwasher only when it’s full will also help save power.

3) Pack your freezer

If you ever needed an excuse to stock up on ice cream here it is!
Every time you open the door of your freezer, the chilled air flows out and the appliance has to use more energy to return to its optimum temperature. However, by tightly packing your freezer with food and drink the cold air doesn’t escape.  If you don’t need to go shopping you can fill up the empty space with bags of ice, bottles of water – basically anything you have around!   

4) Seal your fireplace

Living in an older home with a chimney?  Using modern heating solutions to warm your home in winter?
Chances are that heat is escaping through your unused fireplace.  By simply blocking the fireplace with the newspaper you will stop warm air from escaping; saving your heat pump from working overtime and saving you money!

5) Rearrange your furniture

Is your prized Persian rug on top of an air vent?
If so, your furnishings are preventing cool or warm air from flowing through your home and costing you in the process.  
Strategically placing furniture and removing obstructions will greatly assist in more efficient airflow, cooling, or heating your home.  If your ability to move furnishings is limited by the size of your abode, fear not! Even moving a bed or a chair half a foot away from an air vent or heat panel can make a huge difference.