Category Archives: Electricity

Power saving tips

Oily rag ed – For Mr & Mrs Normal (if there is ever such a couple!), hot water accounts for over 40% of their electricity bill. Here are some common tips to keep the power bill down. Make sure the thermostat on your hot water cylinder is not set too high. 60 degree Celsius (150 […]

Hot water cylinder?

Tamzin from Auckland has been trying to save power by switching off their hot water cylinder at night. “I am very keen to find out the real deal re hot water savings. I too can check daily usage online -BUT after alternating off/on for the hot water cylinder am now using MORE power. This does […]

Dorothy, Whangarei.

Teenagers just love a long hot shower and time passes quickly when you’re having fun. To encourage the family to become more economical with expensive hot water conduct family experiments to agree on the number of minutes needed for a reasonable shower. Place a windup kitchen minute timer on the bathroom window sill. If earning […]

LM, Kapiti Coast.

I use candles for lighting around the house saves heaps of money [Hey, but be careful about the fire risk! Remember the great fire of London – which was actually started from a bakers oven but you get my point! – oily rag ed]. I use family members washing machine [hope they don’t mind paying! […]

O.R.

Use a timer on oil heaters. Have it turn the heater on a couple of hours before you get up in the morning. That will mean you can cut the cost in half.

J.O., Christchurch.

For years I have used the hot water left in the jug to fill up my thermos flask and use it to rinse dishes, as I only do the dishes 2 or 3 times a week, now that I live by myself.

D.K.

For a saving on the electricity account I always fill a thermos flask with boiling water, and use it to rinse a few dishes or have handy in the bathroom for use in the hand basin. Saves the wastage of cold water waiting for the hot water to reach the basin.

M.M.

I take my children swimming once every week and we all wash our hair using the showers at the pools. Very rarely do we have to wash our hair at home and they never make a fuss of it like they do at home either. When I was working (before children) I always made use […]