Five clever, cost-effective tips to reduce your electricity bill

Budget Insurance share some quick and easy tips to get you started:

1. Upgrade to save. Selling your old, power-hungry appliances and replacing them with more energy efficient options is going to be costly at first, but you will save in the long run. When shopping for appliances, check the grading sticker to see how energy efficient the fridge, washing machine or tumble dryer is. Appliances are graded from A to G on their efficiency, with A being the most efficient and G being the least.
2. Adopt energy-efficient habits: Taking a shower instead of a water- and electricity-consuming bath, using the microwave instead of the stove or oven to cook and warm food, opening windows instead of using the air conditioner or closing them to retain heat, instead of using heaters. A pre-paid electricity meter would also be an effective way to monitor your home’s power consumption and assist with budgeting for power on a monthly basis.
3. Get smart: Swap out your old plugs for smart plugs and set them to switch off your appliances such as TVs and sound systems entirely as opposed to putting them onto stand-by mode which guzzles power. Most smart plugs are controlled via an app allowing you to set preferences, schedules and names for the devices.
4. Time for timers: Timers, or smart switches – whether for geysers, pool pumps or security lights – will help you only consume electricity at specific times. Especially useful with geysers – one of the most energy consuming items in the household.
5. Go for gas: Swap out your electric geyser, stove and oven for gas alternatives to not only save on electricity costs, but to also be able to have a hot shower and cook dinner during load shedding. Air conditioning can be costly to run, so think about replacing it with ceiling fans for summer and cozy fireplaces for winter.