Winter is here. It’s cold. It’s wet. It’s windy and bills just seem to keep piling up.
So how to save money over winter while we sit curled up on the couch under a blanket waiting for summer to come back? Well, my first bit of advice would be to focus on the small things. What matters most about changes is not their size, but the size of their impact and small power-saving changes can have a big impact on your budget.
By tweaking your home through small changes, you can save money and make winters more comfortable.
7 Handy, doable tips for money-saving over winter
Turns the lights off
You’ll use the lights in your home for 2-4 hours more over winter than you would in summer. The more lights you leave on, the bigger the power bill, so turn them off when you’re not in the room. It may not seem like much, but little savings do add up over time.
Replace your old power-hungry lights replaced with efficient LED downlights
According to Consumer.org, LED lights use up to 80 per cent less energy than incandescent bulbs and can save between $100 – $300 in running costs throughout their lifetime. LED bulbs have a life expectancy of 15,000 to 50,000 hours, more than five years of normal domestic use. Because they last so long you don’t have to change them as often – another saving.
If a light is on for three hours each day, an incandescent will use around $17.00 worth of electricity in a year, compared to less than $3.00 for the LED. That’s a saving of more than $14.00 per bulb per year. Count up the number of light bulbs in your place and that is quite a big savings.
Keep your home dry
The average New Zealand home produces about eight litres of moisture every day through things like showering and cooking. Over winter, there’s more moisture in the air. Thanks to the wet weather our homes are even damper which makes them even more expensive to heat.
One of the best ways to heat your home more efficiently over winter is to keep it dry.
Get the air moving
Ventilation is essential so damp air can escape from your home before it turns into condensation, winter window waterfalls, slimy sills and freezing rooms. Open doors and windows to air out your home for 10 minutes a day at the very least.
Instead of using a dryer, air dry laundry whenever you can but avoid drying clothes indoors as this creates even more moisture in the air. Use a drying rack in the carport, garage or covered part of your deck if you can. Clothes dryers are one of the most energy-hungry household appliances and typically use about $1 of electricity per load. If you do have to use your dryer, try to remove as much moisture from your clothes as you can by air drying them first and remember to clean the lint filter, as this will make your dryer more efficient.
Use extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom to reduce condensation and wipe away any condensation that forms on your windows or walls.
Make a cosy bubble
Seal up your house as much as it can be by blocking draughts, installing curtains and using DIY double glazing on windows.
Be shade smart!
If you have shades, blinds or curtains, open them during the day to let the sun warm your home and shut them during the night to reduce the chill and stop heat leaking through the windows. A home without curtains can lose up to 31% of its heat through the glass. Curtains will stop your precious, expensive heating quite literally from going out the window!
DIY double glazing
If you wake up to windows that are dripping with moisture to the point that you need to mop the sills with a towel, then create your own ‘double glazing’.
Simply cut a piece of bubble wrap to the size of your window and stick it on by spraying a little water on the window. (You can also use a bit of double-sided tape). Bubble wrap is very effective at reducing condensation build-up and heat loss. However, bubble wrap also reduces your view, so it is great for windows that don’t look out onto anything particularly inspiring, such as a bathroom, laundry or back bedroom and hallway maybe.
But for windows with a view, there is another cheap, effective option in the form of a window kit you can buy from a major hardware chain for about $35.00. The window kit contains a roll of plastic film you cut to size, two rolls of double-sided tape and some instructions. You will need to provide the tape measure, scissors, hair dryer, or even better, a heat gun. Simply cut the plastic to size, tape it on and get rid of the wrinkles with the hair dryer or heat gun. The difference is remarkable. You’ll be snug and dry and still be able to see out of your windows.
You can add some stick-on rubber edging or foam strips to the window jams for draft stoppage. These are equally as effective around door frames. Putting a rolled-up towel at the base of doors also stops draughts precious heat from escaping, or you can buy ‘door snakes’ from another of those large hardware chains which do the same trick.
Wash your clothes in cold water
When it comes to killing bacteria in clothes, cold water washes are as effective as warm water washes thanks to today’s laundry detergents. In fact, cold water is actually better at removing soiling such as sweat. According to Energywise, a warm water cycle can use up to 10 times as much energy as a cold wash and costs about 40 cents more per load, potentially all for nothing. Also only run your washing machine when you have a full load.
Run appliances when it’s cheaper
Some electricity companies offer cheaper electricity rates during the night or even free power for an hour.
If your power company offers discounted off-peak rates, then save money by waiting until the sun goes down to run your most power-hungry appliances, like washing machines, ovens, dryers and dishwashers.
If you don’t know when power is cheaper, or if it’s even offered at a lower rate, then check you’re on the right plan. Switching power providers can save hundreds of dollars a year, so use powerswitch.org.nz to check whether you’re on the best deal.
Turn the vampire appliances off
Make sure appliances and lights are turned off when they’re not in use. The little red light doesn’t mean that a device is turned off; they are usually just in standby mode and still sucking power. So, turn appliances off at the wall if you’re not using them.
Help with sorting those painful power bills and save money
Making small changes to your home can add up to big savings over winter. Why not try some of the power-saving tips listed? Get started today and make your winters more comfortable while saving money at the same time.