You simply have to love that gorgeous spring air. Not too hot, not too cold… as Goldilocks would put it, it’s “just right!” And when the weather is “just right” good things start to happen. You smile more, you spend more time outside and perhaps best of all your energy bills go down. This is because you don’t need heating anymore, but you don’t need air conditioning yet either, and many will start drying their clothes on the clothes-line outside instead of in the energy-hungry dryer.
But alas these days won’t last as every day we draw closer and closer to summer where air conditioners, fans, pool cleaners and Christmas lights go into overdrive, which can consequently drive your energy bills back up to dizzying heights.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that spring is the perfect time to prepare your home for the summer energy onslaught and perhaps save a bit of money when the dreaded summer energy bill arrives.
Your biggest fan
Think about installing celling fans in the living room and bedrooms instead of solely relying on air conditioners. Ceiling fans only cost 2c per hour to run and they can cool the temperature by 2-3 degrees.
Do your Christmas shopping early
If you’re like most people, your Christmas lights were purchased around the same time that Home Alone made Macaulay Culkin an instant movie star – in short they are old. These lights, which are often halogen, are extremely energy inefficient and when draped over your home and powered day and night can run up quite a cost.
As such now is a good time to investigate some alternatives such as making the switch to solar powered Christmas lights which are a great cost-effective alternative that won’t contribute to your summer energy bill.
Don’t get exposed
Try not to have too many naked windows in your home, especially if they are large ones such as those commonly found on sliding doors. These bare windows are great for letting in light, but on extremely hot days they also let in a lot of heat which can force your air conditioner to work even harder than it should.
With this in mind, it’s worth considering installing curtains or blinds over these windows during spring so that you can block out the searing heat of the day during summer.
Just pay less
Closing blinds and line drying clothes will help reduce your energy consumption to a certain extent, but the best way to save money on your energy bills this summer is to make sure you are actually on the best energy plan to begin with. This is because the bulk of your energy bill is actually made up of network charges and unfortunately this means reducing your consumption won’t necessarily make a significant impact on your energy bill.
The best approach is to make you home more energy efficient and also take the time to speak to an energy expert like iSelect to discuss your home’s energy needs. They will be able to crunch the numbers on hundreds of providers and plans in order to find the most cost-effective option for you. After all, the only thing better than saving money is getting someone else to do the research and paperwork for you!
So smell the roses and enjoy everything that spring has to offer… just make sure you take a little time to prepare for summer in the process.
Laura Crowden works for life admin experts iSelect. When she isn’t providing advice on how to find the right energy, broadband or insurance plan, Laura can be found tackling home renovations (to varying degrees of success) or eating ice cream.
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