Power saving hints

Cutting hot-water use and making sure that heated air is not escaping from the house are the easiest ways to cut the power bill and help avert a power crisis.

Other tips include switching off the lights in empty rooms and unplugging appliances with a standby function if they are not in use, says Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority spokesman Daniel Paul.

Hints to save power around the home include:

LOUNGE

Put on warmer clothes, shut doors to cold parts of the house, block up any unused chimneys and stop any other obvious drafts, especially with a stuffed snake under external doors. Close the curtains at night. Heating consumes about 25 per cent of electricity use.

These savings can add up to about $20 a month or more in winter depending on how much waste there is to start with. Don't go overboard and be so cold that your health is compromised.

Turn off lights when you leave the room and use only the lamps that you really need. Get compact fluorescent lamps if you can (available at most supermarkets or hardware stores for about $15 each) for lighting that is used a lot. Lights account for about 15 per cent of your electricity, costing about $14 a month.

Turn appliances off at the wall. Unplug the chargers once the mobile is charged. Turn off computers, screens and printers when they are not in use. Turn the television and video off at the wall when they are not in use. About 10 per cent of household electricity goes on standby losses, adding up to about $9 a month.

KITCHEN

Unplug the microwave and oven when not in use. When cooking on the stove top, pots should cover the elements. Cook more than one item in the same pot and use the lids. Better still, use the microwave instead.

Cook more than one dish in the oven at the same time. Fix dripping hot taps and use the hot tap as little as possible. Use only the water you need in the jug and fill it from the cold tap.

LAUNDRY

Do only cold water washes, saving around $5 a month if you do one wash a day. Unplug the washer when not in use if it has a standby function.

Dry clothes outside if possible, in the garage or inside before using the dryer.

BATHROOM

Take showers instead of baths and keep them short, saving about $10 a month for two people. Turn off the heated towel rail once the towels are dry, saving about $5 a month. Install an efficient shower head if your shower delivers more than 13 litres per minute. Check by using a bucket and watch.

BEDROOM

If you have a waterbed, make sure it is covered with a warm duvet or blankets, otherwise it will heat the room. Heaters in bedrooms should have thermostats and timers. Turn off bedside clocks that you don't need.

GARAGE

Turn off the beer fridge.