Saving Your Pennies

Saving money is always a priority. But in these uncertain times, we understand savings are now even more important than ever.

So, we thought we’d share some simple tips to help you minimise your outgoings and keep more money in your pocket!

Share your streaming services

See whether you can add additional users to your streaming accounts like Netflix or Stan and share them with your friends to reduce your monthly streaming bills. If you’re living under the same roof, you might even be able to share your Spotify account with others too.

Save on Utility Bills

Power, water and gas consumption charges are some of our biggest living expenses. Now’s a great time to take a step back and thing about how you might be able to consume these services more efficiently.

Power Saving Tips

You’ve got the power (insert fist pump emoji here)! Why not use it to save on your bill. Here’s some little ways that you can make an impact on your next bill.

Reduce your screen time

• Have TV free evening. Dust off the board games or just sit and have a chat with your friends or family.
• Switch off appliances at the wall. If you’re not using your TV or charger, switch it off at the wall – power is used even in standby mode! Every little bit counts.

Saving power in your laundry

• If the sun’s out, make sure your laundry is too. The sun dries your clothes for free!
• If you do use the dryer, clean out the lint filter. This makes sure it’s running as efficiently as possible.
• Cold wash your clothes where possible. Not only does it keep your clothes brighter, it also reduces your heating costs.

Save on heating & cooling

• Recommended fridge temperatures are below 5 degrees. For freezers it’s between -15 and -18 degrees. Running costs for fridges and freezers can increase for every degree colder...nobody got time for that!
• Cranking the air-con isn’t efficient. It’s better to heat or cool your home slowly over time instead of getting that quick fix.
• Rug up. Putting on extra layers as we head into the cooler months is free and can often warm you up without the need for a heater.
• The sun is your BFF. Keep blinds closed during the day to keep your home cool, or open them in winter to let that beautiful warmth in.
• Defrost your food in the fridge. It might take a bit longer, but you don’t need to use the microwave.

More power saving tips are available in this link to the Synergy website.

Being Water Wise

Water is one of our most precious resources. While we always recommend being water wise, here’s a reminder of how simple it can be.

• Use the right cycle on your dishwasher. Make sure the load is full before you run it, or use the half cycle option if you have one.
• Check your taps. A leaking tap can cause up to 25 litres of water a day to be lost – all of which can be easily saved if the leak is repaired.
• If you reduce your shower by just 1 minute, you can save 20 litres or two buckets of water!
• Pick the right flush. On average, people use the toilet 5 times per day. Picking the half flush when possible saves on water usage. If you used the half flush 5 times a day, that’s a saving of 15 litres.
• Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth can save a bucket of water.

Being Water Wise doesn’t stop inside. Making seasonal adjustments to your retic can also help!

Lawns and gardens need the most water in the peak of summer. But as the weather cools, morning dew returns and moisture levels in the soil are higher without the harsh sun coming down on your lawns and gardens. So backing off your watering regime slightly is sure to help your back pocket. If you reduce your sprinkler watering time by just two minutes, that can save more than 30 litres or 3.5 buckets of water.

Different sprinkler heads spread the water in different ways. Check out this link from the Water Corporation to see how long your sprinkler heads should be on for.

Don’t forget that the state-wide sprinkler ban comes into effect from 1 June! More info can be found on this page of the Busselton Water website.

Go Easy on the Gas

Last, but by no means least, saving on your gas bill can also help. Here’s some ways that you can help minimise your bill. Kleenheat has some more tips on this page for you.

• Take shorter showers (which also saves water – win, win!)
• Hot water systems should be maintained every 5 years, is it time yours had a check up?
• If you have a gas storage hot water system, turn the system off when going on holidays
• Put thicker doona’s or bedding on to keep you cosier in winter
• Consider putting the heating on a timer so it automatically turns off when you're toasty warm
• Put your heater on before it gets to cool – it’s much more efficient to heat a home while it’s still warm rather than waiting for it to be freezing and cranking the heat up!