How to insulate your home and save on energy bills this summer | Rare Techy

Despite dire warnings about worsening electricity prices, there’s nothing to prepare you for when you open a letter from the power company and realize you’ve been hit with a 20 percent increase in your bill.

With eye-popping energy costs adding to the cost of living, and straining the budget, it’s no wonder Australians are losing faith that the energy system can deliver for them.

Just 35 percent of households say they are confident the market is working in their favor, down 11 percent from last year, according to the latest Energy Consumer Survey.

“In any case, the research results in this December 2022 report are very worrying,” said Energy Consumers Australia CEO Lynne Gallagher.

Mrs. Gallagher said The New Day Consumer confidence has soared over the past year with warnings that more financial pain is on the way.

Experts say the sharp increase in Australia’s electricity prices is due to a combination of economic, political and weather factors. These include rising global costs of fossil fuels, disruptions in supply chains and significant increases in demand.

But there are things you can do to take some of the bite out of sky-high energy bills.

Here are some expert tips for saving energy and dollars this summer.

Switch to green energy

Katja Ignatieva, Associate Professor at UNSW Sydney Business School said:

“Start using energy from renewable sources such as solar, wind, water and renewable energy instead of coal and wind. In other words, installing solar panels on your roof is one of the best ways to save energy and reduce your energy bill in the long run.

“Other ideas include getting rid of unused appliances, choosing energy-efficient appliances, switching to light bulbs and making efficient use of air conditioners.”

‘The cheapest energy is the energy you don’t use’

Dr Archie Chapman, Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland’s School of Information Technology said:

“As a society, we should try to reduce energy use per person. So energy-intensive activities, such as air conditioning, sealing leaky windows, and drawing curtains regularly too hot of the sun can have a big effect.

“If you have the sun on the roof, use the tools when you generate your own power. For example, use the timer to run the washing machine or washing machine during the day.

Time is of the essence

Professor Gerard Ledwich, Principal Researcher in Electrical Engineering at the Queensland University of Technology said:

“If you are on a high demand then cool your house or move the loads as the sun goes in. Use timers on pool pumps because of the middle of the day and use the furnaces and vents when the sun is strong.”

Only music short singing in the rain

Professor Iain MacGill from the School of Electrical and Telecommunications Engineering and Cooperation in Energy and Environmental Markets at UNSW Sydney said:

“Consider PV on the roof, if that’s the way to go. Shorter rains and higher temperatures on air conditioning can make a big difference. And if you’re going to buy equipment, look for better equipment – it’ll save you money in the long run.”

Change collection

Guillaume Roger, Associate Professor of Economics at Monash University and coordinator of the Australian Energy Market Project, said:

“[P]People can cool down the front of their house, shade their windows to reduce heat stress in the house, and change their diet during the day. In Australia, electricity is at its lowest in the middle of the day, and the sun provides all of this low energy. Run your laundry and dishwasher. Electricity is the most expensive at 6pm and 9pm. Reducing consumption by even just 10 percent in that window would be very costly, because that’s when supply is tightest and also when we need gas plants to produce.

Will it help soon?

There is little relief for consumers, and the Albanian government is expected to deliver an electricity aid package next week.

The ABC The government is said to support a multi-pronged strategy to curb energy prices, which could cap wholesale gas prices at $12 per gigajoule, and demand that domestic gas be guaranteed from producers, a regulatory process will be implemented as part of market intervention.