Winter energy saving tips to keep the heat up and the costs low

Winter has arrived and to beat the chill, you’re probably pumping the heater in your home. While this certainly raises the temperature of your home, it unfortunately also raises the cost of your energy bill. Not to worry! Before you go sacrificing your budget in order to stay toasty, we’ve rounded up a number of slick tricks to help keep your winter heating costs low, even as you bask in faux-summer heat.

Bundle up
Blasting your heating to Sahara Desert temperatures can be tempting, but it’s a surefire way to hike up your winter energy bill. Rug up, wear an extra jumper or two and try keep your housing’s heat at a moderate 18-20 degrees celsius instead. According to a Mozo study, this could potentially save you up to $105 on your households bill each year.

Don't overextended your showers
After you’ve made the move out of your warm and snuggly bed, it can be tempting to reward yourself with an extra long, extra hot shower. Well don’t go too crazy, as even an extra 3 minutes every day can potentially add up to $81 to you household energy bill every year. Keeping your showers short, or at least the same length as in summer will prevent unwanted added costs.

Utilise the sun to heat your home
While the cold temperatures and overcast days may make you think the sun just isn’t it’s old summer self, the heat the sun gives up in winter is a precious resource and crucial to tap into. Make sure your blinds or curtains are wide open when the sun is up and shining. Getting direct sunlight into your home for even an hour a day is a great step towards a warmer and cosier home, instead of just having warm and toasty curtains.

Keep your house closed
While we just advised to keep your curtains open for sun, the important next step is to make sure they are closed when there isn’t sun. Ensuring all your windows and curtains are shut, and the gaps under your doors are plugged will do a lot to stop the loss of your hard earned heat. So invest in some good old fashioned door snakes and heavy curtains, because these can be more effective at keeping heat inside and cold outside than you might expect.

Throw down some rugs
If your floors are wood, slate, or anything that isn’t carpet, then you’ll find their heat insulating properties are pretty poor. While installing carpeting in your bedroom or lounge room would do a lot to warm up your house, a full-floor reno isn’t always viable. Getting a couple of rugs for the rooms you use the most will do a lot to keep both you and your home toasty.

Dry your clothes in the sun
Wait, didn’t we already have a tip about using the sun? Well, yes, but this time it’s not for heating your house; it’s for drying your clothes. Instead of heading straight for your dryer this winter, perhaps hold off on doing your washing until a nice sunny day and then use the old reliable clothesline to dry them out. This method could potentially cut up to $59 off your household energy bill each year. They may take a little longer to dry than in summer, but the sun will still do its job to get your clothes back and ready to wear. 

Find a better energy deal
This last tip isn’t just for winter - you can review your energy plan and consider switching providers at any time of the year. The fact is, you may simply be with a energy provider that isn’t giving you the best deal out there, so changing it up and finding a new provider with better discounts and tariffs could be exactly what helps you cut costs the most this winter.

To see if there’s a better energy provider out there for you, compare providers and plans over at our energy hub, or make use of the handy comparison tool below.