When winter comes around to the Mother City each year, we find ourselves dealing with cold as well as the high electricity bill because of all of our efforts to stay warm. With all of the costs the average Capetonian is dealing with now, a massive electricity bill on the top is far from ideal, so here are some ways to save a little on your bill by changing your habits.
1. Be Plug Smart
Instead of plugging your appliances individually into the wall socket, get yourself a multi plug and control the phantom pull of electricity by switching off the whole plug when you’re not using it.
You can also save electricity by using lambs with power saving bulbs instead of overhead lighting.
2. Get Cozy
Make sure your home is stocked with blankets, thick curtains and carpets. These cozy things add an extra layer between your home and the cold, which might reduce your heater usage which is often the biggest culprit of electricity consumption in winter.
3. Do Some Winter Cleaning
Some appliances use less electricity when they are clean. Cleaning your vacuum cleaner bag will reduce the amount of electricity it uses as well as keeping a minimum amount of products in your fridge can reduce the electricity usage by up to 20%. Light bulbs also use less electricity when they are clean as dust particles are a phantom thief of electricity, so give yours a dust as often as you can.
4. Wash Your Clothes in Cold Water
Capetonians are already washing less loads than normal but when you do get around to washing your clothes once every now and then, make sure your washing machine is set to cold cycle to save electricity.
5. Be Food Savvy
Making food contributes to a large amount of electricity usage. Plan your meals so you can use the least possible electricity by varying your food methods. Braai more often, eat foods like salads or smoothies that need less cooking and treat yourself to an eat out evening every now and then. Opt for microwaves over stoves when you can.
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