Winter is here, and your utility bills are coming, folks. To avoid spending all your hard-earned pennies on expensive appliances this season, we’ve come up with a load of certified cash-savers.
These tips will help to keep you cosy without breaking the bank.
1. Layer up!
This is an obvious one, and your parents probably drilled it into you as children, but if you’re cold your best bet is to just put more clothes on. It’s an oldie but a goodie, right? Throwing on a pair of socks or a cosy knit sweater will not only take the edge off the winter chill but also keep your utilities bill down.
2. Ditch the electric blanket
OK, – you don’t need the electric blanket. Not only will you wake up gasping and sweaty at 2am but it’s also sapping your electricity. Invest in a better doona, throw on a quilt, heat up a hot water bottle or you could even wear socks to bed – the options are endless.
3. Be heater smart
We’re talking about closing the doors to the rooms you’re trying to heat (don’t let all that warm goodness escape!) and only heating the areas of the house you’re actually going to be using (the laundry doesn’t need to be cosy!). By employing a little bit of heating common sense, you’re going to save yourself big dollars.
4. Reverse your fan
Did you know that a fan can be both handy in summer and winter? Yep, your pronged ceiling friend can actually help circulate warm air around a room. There should be a little switch to reverse the direction, just flick that and a truckload of warm air will be pushed down from the ceiling in no time. To make sure it’s warming the blades should be spinning clockwise when you look up.
5. Get outside
Not out outside, but outside the house. Truth is, it never gets that cold in Australia. And if you live in a relatively populated part of the country, chances are you have no shortage of recreational establishments not too far from your front door. Going out doesn’t mean spending a small fortune either – you can go and grab a wine or a hot chocolate and read a book, stop into your local cinema on Tightarse Tuesdays, and got for a round of pub trivia. You’ll be having fun, getting out of the house, and keeping warm on someone else’s dime – what’s not to like?
