Freezing winter bill shock: Managing your utilities
The skies are overcast, the air is chilly and people are pulling on a few extra layers before they head outside: Yes, we are certainly well within the realm of winter. However, there are a fair few Melburnians who actually prefer this time of year, revelling in the opportunity to crank up the thermostat and settle in for an evening in front of a warm fire (or television screen).
However, all that additional energy being used during these long, cold months could end up doing a number on your utility bills. Let’s take a look at how you can manage a reduction in consumption and costs – without sacrificing your comfort.
How are you planning to keep your home warm this winter?1) Only heat what you need
You reduce the heating costs by about 75 per cent by only trying to heat a medium-sized room.
If you live in a more compact Melbourne apartment or house, you can use that reduced space to your advantage. If you only have a few dozen square metres to heat, you are already one step ahead of those with larger homes. However, that isn’t to say that homeowners with bigger pieces of Melbourne real estate should be frozen in their tracks – there’s still plenty you can do to catch up.
Last year, AGL estimated that electricity usage increased by 10 per cent over winter, while gas usage more than doubles in Victoria. You can cut back on this by closing off those rooms that aren’t in frequent use, such as the bathroom or bedroom. Rather than trying to heat your whole house with gas (which can cost over $1,000 a year, according to Sustainability Victoria), you reduce the heating costs by about 75 per cent by only trying to heat a medium-sized room.
2) Dodge the draught
If you want to reduce your costs, you need to increase your efficiency. You can do that in a number of ways: buying new appliances, improving your insulation, even something like buying thicker curtains. However, these can be costly and time-consuming ventures. Sometimes, it is the simplest solutions that are the best – which is why it might be a good time to look at draught-proofing.
Draught-proofing involves sealing the various nooks and crannies of your home to prevent hot air from escaping. Gaps around windows, joints between wall slats, even that little space between the floorboards could be cranking up the cost on your heating. Sustainability Victoria explains that draughts can increase your utility bill by up to 20 per cent – plus that extra insulation might be a winning feature when it comes to selling your home. If that isn’t a reason to look into this cheap and easy process, we don’t know what is.
A slight adjustment to your thermostat could make all the difference.3) Use the weather to your advantage
Depending on where you are in Melbourne, you could have had anywhere between 300 to 1,200 millimetres of rain over 2015, as reported by the Bureau of Meteorology. It seems like a waste to have such a large amount of water quite literally pouring from the sky, only for it not to be used directly in our homes.
With winter 2016 forecast to have above average rainfall, the Australia Bureau of Statistics reports that rainwater tank usage in Melbourne has been steadily growing over the last few years, but there are still plenty of us that don’t utilise them. Rather than having to pay water usage just to flush the toilet, use grey water from a tank instead and save money and the environment at the same time.
These are just some of the ways you can help cut your utility bills and improve the state of your home in Melbourne. For more information about living in or moving to Melbourne, make sure you get in touch with the team at Nelson Alexander today.
