The cost of maintaining the average New Zealand home has definitely increased over time. The abundance of new technology and the increase of appliances we use in day to day life has definitely added to this and thus seen a rise in our power bills.
The New Zealand Electricity Authority estimate the average annual power bill in Christchurch to be $2,363 (as of April/May 2017).
You might be surprised just how much it’s costing you to run some of your appliances and how much you can save by making a few subtle changes.
Energy Wise have a handy calculator where you can select the appliance and calculate the amount of energy used, it will also give you an indication on how much that appliance will cost you to run for a year.
*Disclaimer: These are estimates only based on average appliances and average usage.
Power saving tips:
- When buying new appliances choose one with as many stars as possible on the energy rating label
- Set computers to sleep mode when not in use
- Switch appliances off at the wall when not in use
- Use your washing machine on cold wash when possible
- Put a time limit on showers
- Switch your home to LED lights
- Limit use of the clothes dryer
- Ensure your home is sufficiently insulated
- Switch off lights in rooms you’re not using
- Only have heat pumps/gas fires on when you’re home
- Use draft stoppers to keep the heat inside
- Open windows and doors instead of using the air conditioning unit on warmer days
- Shop around for the right power provider and power plan for your usage
- Only use your dishwasher when full
Chat to us today for more ways you can save power at home and save in your back pocket.