DON'T let your energy habits cost you a small fortune over winter.
More than one in five Australians are guilty of at least three wasteful, bill-boosting habits like cranking up the heating to tropical temperatures rather than rugging up, leave the heating on for hours every day for their pet, and having longer showers to warm up.
According to comparison site Mozo.com.au the potential national cost of each bad energy habit could be more than $1 billion over winter, with long showers coming in as the costliest money drain.
Keeping pets cosy and warm came in as the second most costly habit, with 11 per cent of Aussies admitting to leaving the heating on for their pets while out for the day.
"Our survey found Australians have a penchant for longer showers in winter, with 54 per cent of the population guilty of this habit," said Mozo director Kirsty Lamont.
"We estimated an extra three minutes under the showerhead each day could come at a total national cost of $365 million over the cooler months."
Mozo calculates that households could save up to $691 annually by ditching bad heating habits during winter.
The research shows females are guilty of more bad heating habits than males, with 61 per cent of women admitting to taking longer showers during winter compared to 48 per cent of men.
Almost two-thirds of those aged 45-54 admitted to taking longer showers in winter, while three in 10 of those aged 55-64 say they use an electric blanket rather than a hot water bottle to warm their bed.
Top tips for saving on your energy bills:
- Forego little luxuries like toasty towels on chilly mornings. Four heated towel rails add about $48 to a household's energy bill over winter.
- You can cut heating costs by a quarter by draught-proofing your home, starting with an old-fashioned door snake and draught excluders on external doors, and caulking any cracks and gaps around the window and door frames and between skirting boards.
- Smaller spaces heat more quickly than larger spaces, so keeping doors closed and separating off areas can increase the efficiency of heating and ensure you don't pay to heat rooms not being used.
- Getting into the habit of paying your bills on time could get you a decent discount year-round, with energy suppliers offering pay on time discounts of up to 47 per cent of usage charges.
- Insulate your roof so heat is retained and doesn't escape through the ceiling.
If you have air conditioning, set your room temperature to 20 degrees. Every degree above that raises the costs by 10 per cent.
- Put your energy provider to the test by comparing offers.
Be fire aware
THE winter months also see the highest number of house fires. In Victoria there were 890 house fires last winter.
The following tips from the RACV will help reduce your fire risk:
- Have your heaters professionally serviced to reduce the risks of electrical or gas faults, which can be fatal.
- Ensure electric blankets haven't been damaged during storage. Do this by laying them flat to check for any electrical cord kinks, which can be a fire hazard.
- Check smoke alarms are working properly every month by pressing the test button with a broom handle.
- Clear gutters and drains of blockages such as leaves, which can bring rising waters through the roof and doors, causing unexpected flooding.
