Appliance energy saving tips

Appliance running costs are not just about what product you buy - how you use them every day also makes a big difference. Check out these simple, energy-saving tips.

• Switch appliances off at the wall when you are not using them. Household stand-by energy costs the country over $100 million a year - which is enough to power over 55,000 homes.
• Use the sun to dry your clothes rather than a dryer. It could save you around $200 each year.
• Use cold water for washing your clothes. This uses 75% less electricity than hot water washes and, at four loads a week, could save you around $50 to $75 each year.
• Switch off the old beer fridge - or get rid of it - and save between $100 and $300 a year.
• Only use your heated towl rails when needed. By using it for four hours a day instead of all the time, you could save between $85 and $170 each year.
• Check your fridge door seals - if the door doesn't seal properly your fridge will be using more energy than it needs to. You can check it by turning a torch on, putting it inside your fridge and closing the door. If you can see the torchlight, your seals need replacing.
• Check the temperatures with a fridge thermometer. Freezers should be between -15°C and -18°C, while fridge compartments should be around 2°C to 4°C.
• Don't let ice build up in your fridge or freezer as this will make it very inefficient to run and may prevent it from maintaining safe temperatures for food storage.
• If your fridge or freezer is running continuously or nearly all the time, it may be faulty. A faulty fridge or freezer can pose a health risk by not keeping food cool enough - and can cost you a lot of money in wasted energy and having to replace food that has gone off prematurely.
• Wash full loads of laundry rather than several smaller loads where possible.
• Rinse dishes under the cold tap or scrape plates before loading them into the dishwasher.
• Use the power options on your computer to save electricity when you're not using it. You can choose the amount of time after which your computer does simple tasks like turning off the monitor and hard disks.
• Buy appliances that meet your needs. Appliances that are too big or too small generally won't be as efficient and may cost more to buy.
• Choose to buy energy-efficient appliances. Look for products displaying the energy rating label or ENERGY STAR® mark.
• Use a household energy meter (for example, a Centameter) to monitor your electricty use. It gives you a live reading of how much electricity your home is using, making it easier to see which appliances really make a difference.