The bad energy habits costing Aussies $1.09 billion this winter
We get it, sometimes it’s too cold to get out of the shower on a cold night. But did you know those extra three minutes spent under the warm water could be adding $81 to your power bill?
According to recent Mozo research, Aussies are predicted to blow $1.09 billion on wasteful heating habits this winter alone.
More than 1 in 5 Aussies are guilty of committing the top 3 wasteful behaviours, like taking longer showers to warm up, cranking up the heat so they can wear t-shirts at home and even leaving the heating running for hours for pets during the day.
“Our survey found Australians have a penchant for longer showers in winter with 54% of the population guilty of this habit. We estimated an extra three minutes under the showerhead each day could come at a total national cost of $365 million over the cooler months,” said Mozo Director, Kirsty Lamont.
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When it came to drying our clothes, 28% of Aussies admitted to using a tumble dryer instead of hanging the washing out on a sunny day, costing $144 million nationwide - majority of these respondents were 18-24 year olds and female.
Aussies also admitted to leaving the heating on so they could return to a warm home, costing $107 million as well as keeping the home cozy for their pets ($249 million) while they were out, with men being the likely culprit for both.
“The wasteful energy habits we indulge in over the cooler months like using a tumble dryer on sunny days and leaving the heating on while you’re out to warm up the home is expected to add over one billion dollars to the nation’s winter energy bill,” says Lamont.
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Other bad habits included leaving the heating on in empty rooms, heating the whole house instead of blocking off the rooms that aren’t being used and using the electric blanket instead of a hot water bottle.
So if you’re one of the many Aussies currently re-considering your showering habits, Lamont has some words of advice to help you get your energy usage back on the right track.
“Simple strategies like setting your thermostat at a comfortable temperature and rugging up, using door snakes and draught excluders as well as caulking any gaps around window frames, can slash the size of your heating bill this winter,” she said.
“If you need to turn on the heating, be savvy about it and only heat the rooms you are currently using.”
However, one of the biggest ways you can save on your energy bill this winter is by switching to a better value plan and the first place you can start is by checking our energy comparison tool.
