Good bill hunting

With winter behind us, the warmer weather and the arrival of your bloated winter energy statement has heralded the start of ‘bill hunting season’!

Bill hunting season kicks off each year during spring when Aussies look at their winter energy costs and think to themselves ‘I’ve got to do something about these crazy bills!’. After which they spend their time scouring the internet for energy saving tips as well as other money-saving hacks.

For many people, bill hunting season is a fruitless endeavour…Lots of good intentions but very little to show for it in terms of saving money. These bill hunting novices, typically try to save dollars by turning off lights in rooms they aren’t occupying or switching off appliances at the power point. Nice try, but unfortunately it’s not going to make that much difference.

Whereas bill hunting experts know that they can reap bigger savings by attacking the enemy at the source and here’s how they do it:

Spend a little money to save a lot of money

Lighting consumes between eight to 15% of the average household electricity budget, and is an easy place to start your energy saving crusade. Take a walk around your house and look for halogen light globes to throw out and replace with energy efficient LED lights.

An LED light bulb can use up to seven times less energy than a halogen light and when you consider how many lights you have in your home the savings can compound and bring about some decent year-round savings.

No to nakedness

From an energy saving perspective, it’s a good idea not to have too much naked (curtain-less/blind-less) windows in your home, especially if they are large ones such as floor-to-ceiling sliding doors.

Naked windows are great for letting in natural light, but not so great on hot and cold days. They let heat in on hot days, cold air in on cold days and force your heating and air-conditioning to work harder than they should have to.

A set of blinds or curtains are a great way to improve the insulation properties of your home and control your heating and cooling costs.

For sale: 161 Kerferd Road, Albert Park, VIC

Make a deal

While changing light globes, closing blinds and turning down the heating will help reduce your energy consumption a little bit. The best way to save money on your energy bills year-round is to get on the best available energy plan.

This is because the bulk of your energy bill is made up of network charges which cutting down on energy usage won’t necessarily make a big difference your energy bill.

This leaves you with two options to compare electricity providers. Either spend countless hours researching every tariff rate, provider and billing plan available on the market. *SPOLIER ALERT* There are lots! Or speak to an energy expert, like iSelect, to discuss your household energy needs.

They will do all the research for you in a matter of minutes and find you the most cost-effective option for your individual needs. Best of all, their advice is provided at no cost. After all, why do something yourself, when you can get someone to do it for you for free!

Happy (bill) hunting everyone!

Written by:
Laura Crowden, Corporate Affairs Manager for iSelect. When she isn’t providing advice on how to find the right energy, broadband or insurance plans, Laura can be found tackling home renovations (to varying degrees of success) or eating ice cream. She loves getting a good deal, sparkly things, her cat & G&Ts.