topic Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$ in Managing Your Energy

What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

alishakihn — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 03:54:57 GMT

With elec prices thru the roof, my boyfriend recently asked if he could turn off the fridge during peak time to save money. That's a really dumb idea, but I would like to hear some good ones. The stingier the better!

I always use the timers on my washer and drier to only run them at cheap times, and I never overfill the kettle (uses a surprising amount of power to boil a full kettle)

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

David_AGL — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 07:10:31 GMT

Great question @alishakihn and very timely, I've been looking at a lot of these sorts of tips myself lately! I'll pin this one to the top of the Neighbourhood for a little while and we'll see what people have to share.

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

larvar — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 09:55:24 GMT

Don't run an empty fridge. If you've got a second fridge sitting empty all the time switch it off. Any fridge will work best when its 75% full so don't cram them chokkas either

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

Mortal — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 02:17:46 GMT

For sure getting into stingey territory but you can sometimes save a chunk of power by switching some appliances off in the wall. Some of them are little power vampires even when theyre switch off (standby mode). One downside of having so many "smart" devices that access the internet over wifi is they always on. Not that smart really.

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

NeilC — Sun, 06 Aug 2023 12:20:46 GMT

@alishakihn

Only put as much water in the kettle as you need.

If you have mixer taps always push them to the right unless you want hot. When you have them off the right side they are using hot water.

Only use cold washes. Buy a good detergent and put on the shortest cycle.

Filling your fridge just means that when you open it you lose less cold.

If you don't have the fridge so every one knows where everything is, you end up staring until the fridge alarm goes off.

If you don't have energy saving globes buy a pack of 4 for the next 3 pays and you will be saving before you know it.

Get your boyfriend to take you out for Dinner more often and promise him the world when you get back...

Walk down the shops, you will only buy what you really need.

Take your lunch to work with you, then you can't complain about the food.

Make a choice to ONLY BUY ONE CUP OF COFFEE A DAY.

Only go to the pub during HAPPY HOUR and leave when it finishes.

Bite the bullet and catch public transport to work. You might meet some new friends and save heaps on fuel etc.

In winter a 20 deg day is great, so why not wear a bit thicker clothing and warm the house to 20.

Same goes for summer 24 degrees is better than trying to get the house to 18.

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

John-T — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 00:00:35 GMT

@NeilC has basically covered most if not all savings.

My only addition is when you buy power saving globes a little quality for a bit more goes a long way.

When we first moved into the house all bedroom globes were of the 15watt spiral fluro bayonet type globes.

Bunnings has a smorgasbord of globes i was looking at several different brands 9watts, 7watt 806 lumen globes then cam across the Phillips product 840luman at 4 watt consumption upside 50yr life time globe under normal conditions. Though a little more expensive. I shaved 11 watt per globe off.

My Daughter & I had a nasty habit of leaving our desktop wireless mobile phone chargers on so we turn them off when not charging.

In this day and age every cent counts i guess. I was boiling full kettles of water until NeilC got me up to speed on only boiling the minimum amount the kettle requires as that usually covers a coffee or tea.

Regards

John

Plan: Solar Savers

Dist: Endeavour Energy

State: NSW

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

NeilC — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 08:36:38 GMT

GOD supplied a dryer. Use it when you can.

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

mirk — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 03:04:03 GMT

I switch off the NBN and modem when I go to bed at night and only turn them back on when I wake up in the morning. Switch off all power points that are not needed, e.g. for chargers, kettle, toaster, washing machine/ dryer when not in use.

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

Ttt — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 05:52:29 GMT

If you could opt to hang dry the clothes instead of using the dryer thats a alot of energy you could save.

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

David_AGL — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 06:36:11 GMT

@Ttt the dryer is a big one for sure.

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

NeilC — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 12:11:04 GMT

@Ttt, @David_AGL

I did this when I said

" GOD supplied a dryer. Use it when you can."

Its like using the big YELLOW DEVICE

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

Caban — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 09:25:07 GMT

If you have Reverse Cycle Air Conditioning, turn it off at the Fusebox when you are not using it. This is especially important if you have more than one unit.

Each unit will have an oil heater which is always on and uses approximately 60W of power when not in use. This would be like running at least ten lights all the time.

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

Caban — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 09:27:21 GMT

Forgot to say turn them back on a couple of hours before you plan to use it again to heat the oil.

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

Patricia11 — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 07:53:46 GMT

I’ve been thinking doing this. Will turning the modem on and off everyday have any side affects for reconnecting to devices?

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

mirk — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 08:46:18 GMT

I have never had any problem.

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

Easysaver — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 06:47:40 GMT

Buy a thermos and fill it with hot water from the jug and have the convenience of having hot water during the day.

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

Easysaver — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 07:01:36 GMT

Hi Guys

I have bought 5 Wiz Smart Plugs that need to be programmed into your WiFi to the cloud on your Smart Phone. They are a bit expensive, Bunnings $33.00 each, I got 2 for $30.00 at Office works. So now I can turn off/on TV's, garage roller doors stereo systems etc from my mobile phone. They are a bit tricky to connect and you need some patients. So no more wasted electricity from standby. Yes, it will take a while to get the money back, but you have to start somewhere.

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

Easysaver — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 07:06:04 GMT

In the heat of summer, go to the council library it is air conditioned, some have TV's on many books and computers. They maybe opened on Saturday mornings and late on Thursdays

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

Caban — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 23:18:25 GMT

Bunnings or Officeworks have done well from the sale, but I do not see much benefit to you for this use, just some inconvenience.

The devices which have "standby" do use some power but this is now in the order micro-watts. I doubt anyone is using a TV with a Cathode Ray Tube anymore, especially the models which had preheated tubes. The "Smart Plugs" have connect to your WiFi. They have to run an RF standby circuit too, which will probably consume more power than tht used by the original device. You have added extra steps in the operation to increase your standby power use. You will not recoup any money from this.

There are applications for remote switches which could save money or increase convenience but this is not one.

Re: What are your best power-saving tips? $$$

Easysaver — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 00:47:18 GMT

Have you proof of this and in which way did you get proof? When you are a person with paraplegia it is just as much about convenience and control of power.

Garage doors for instance , they are normally on 24/7 but only work, at most 5 minutes a day. I am very happy turning off power when not needed and will be keep doing it

Sent from Outlook for Android<>