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Save money on your energy bill

Paying for energy is a big part of a household's annual budget. Prices are rising and are likely to continue to do so, but there are lots of things you can do to cut your energy bills - without compromising your lifestyle. On this page we give you some handy energy-saving tips for your home.

Things you can do to save money

Did you know?

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Things you can do to save money

Here are some cheap and quick things you can do. Most of these are free.

Action	Cost to do	Estimated savings
Switch off your second or beer fridge	Free	$100 to $300 a year
Dry your clothes outside rather than using a dryer	Free	Around $200 a year
Only use your heated towel rails when needed	Free	Around $100 a year
Switch your appliances off at the wall when not in use	Free	Varies
Shut your curtains at dusk to keep the heat in	Free	Varies
Wash your clothes in cold rather than warm water	Free	$50 - $75 a year
Set your computer's power-saving options	Free	Varies
Replace a 100W bulb with an energy saving bulb	$5	$110 over life of the bulb
If your shower fills up a 10 litre bucket in less than a minute, install an efficient shower head	Varies	$150 or more a year
Wrap your electric hot water tank and the first few metres of hot water pipe	$70	$80 a year for an older cylinder
Use a household energy meter to monitor power use	Varies	Varies

Others actions require some investment and a bit more time to sort out, like insulation and a clean, efficient heating system. However, the savings and other benefits, such as a more comfortable and healthier home, can be a lot larger. The amount of savings from these actions really varies depending on your particular house, the number of people in your home and the type of systems you run.

There are also lots of simple ways to save on your car's fuel bills and reduce your carbon footprint.

Did you know?

A typical household of four people spends around $2,800 a year on energy, not including transport ^[1]
Electricity makes up more than 85% of the energy bill in an average house. Most of the remainder of the bill is gas ^[2]
The price of electricity increased 7.5% in the year between 2007 and 2008, and 41% in the five years between 2003 and 2008. [2]