Summer is coming and, thanks to cooling devices, that usually means higher electricity costs. This can result in quite a shock when you get your bill, but the good news is that doesn’t have to be the case.

Here’s some tips to keep you comfortable and your energy bill from overheating this summer:

1. Cool your house down naturally

Heating and cooling can make up to 40%¹ of your power bill. So before cranking up the air-con, try closing your blinds and curtains during the day in rooms you’re not using. This will help prevent the sun’s heat from coming in and turning your place into a sauna.

2. Be savvy with your air-con

Feel like you’ll melt without air-con? We get it, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be on 24/7.

Upright or ceiling fans can use less than 10% of the energy needed for air-conditioning², so give them a whirl first to cool you down.

But if those sweat beads keep rolling here’s two things we recommend for your air-con settings that will make it much more cost-effective:

• Keep the temp at 25-26 degrees Celsius. Every degree lower can cost you 10% more¹.
• Set timers for only the times you need it. For example, instead of having it on all night while you sleep, set it to turn off 15 minutes after you usually enter dreamland.

 3. Compare your energy options

If you haven’t changed your energy provider in a while, there’s a good chance you’re paying more than you need to – possibly hundreds of dollars a year more.

Compare Energy Locals plans to discover if you could be better off. All our plans are carbon neutral and we don’t profit from your usage – so when we say we want to help you use less power we genuinely mean it.

¹ https://www.energy.gov.au/households/quick-wins
² https://www.canstarblue.com.au/appliances/ceiling-fans-or-air-conditioning-the-pros-and-cons/