Open
6 Tips for Conserving Power and Saving Money with NZ Compare
Feb 14, 2024

Learn how to care for the earth and your wallet with these 6 easy power-saving tips!

Creating habits around the home that help reduce power is great for the environment and your bank account. Saving energy doesn’t have to be about sacrificing your comfort or enjoyment of things in the home. Thanks to modern tech and some easy frequent habits, it’s actually easier than ever to conserve electricity, and make long term savings. 

We have put together a list of 6 things you can do to ensure you’re conserving as much power as possible in your home. Save power, save the environment, save your wallet. How good?

1. Choose Energy Efficient Appliances

Energy efficiency essentially means that our appliances and devices will complete the same tasks with the least energy possible. This in turn will minimise the impact on the environment and save you money on your electricity bill. 

Learn More About Energy Efficiency

2. Unplug Devices

Switch off or unplug devices at the wall to save those tiny, yet mighty amounts of energy from being used by power appliances and devices when they are on standby. Standby power, otherwise known as vampire power, is the tiny amount of power being used by your device or appliance in between use. For example, the little LED light that remains red while your TV is off. The device is on standby until you use it. This may seem small and insignificant, but this is a habit that will save you money over time. 

Learn More About Vampire Power

3. Window Management

When the windows aren’t used properly, warm or cool air can easily escape. During the summer and winter, your aircon and heaters will be working to keep the rooms in your home either cool or warm. Check your windows seal properly. When it is hot outside, close the blinds in the morning, and late afternoon to keep the heat from coming in. In winter time, close your blinds and curtains as the sun is setting, to keep the warmth trapped. 

Extra tip: After you’ve used your oven for cooking, leave the oven door open during the winter to let the heat out into your home. A great way to repurpose the heat already used to cook!

4. Give your Fridge/ Freezer some TLC

Every now and then, go through your fridge to clean out anything that might be going off, or products that you just don’t use. That will clear some space in the shelves to allow the cool air to circulate. The more stuffed a fridge or freezer is, the harder it has to work to keep your food cold. 

5. Dishwasher Maintenance and Cold Laundry

Always run full loads of washing and run it on cool or warm. Hot water cycles suck lots of power! 

Scrape and rinse your dishes, don’t wash them before putting them in the machine. Choose an energy efficient and water efficient dishwasher. Deep clean the dishwasher regularly. Take out the filter, scrub off any gunk, and run a cup of vinegar or dishwasher cleaning solution through the machine on the hottest cycle once every month or two. This will ensure the pipes and drains are clear so that the cycles can run most efficiently and clean your dishes properly, so that you don’t have to put them through a second cycle. 

6. Clean AirCon Filters

Regularly cleaning the filters in your aircon and heaters will ensure that they are more efficient, and that there is less strain on the system. Clean filters mean the appliance doesn’t have to work as hard to cool or warm your home. 

Compare your Power Bill

You can save lots of money in the long run by comparing your power bill. Comparing power providers and plans is a wonderful and easy way to reduce your electricity bill. Power Compare makes it easy to compare different providers and plans side-by-side, so that you can choose the best offer to suit your needs and budget. Comparing, and making the switch to a better offer means you can save hundreds of dollars in the long term on power, while getting more value for your money. 

To do so, follow these simple steps: 

  • Go to Power Compare
  • Type in your address
  • Hit enter.
  • Browse all the different plans available to you & compare them side-by-side.
  • Find one you like and switch!

Or, if you’d prefer to speak to a friendly person, then give our customer service team a free call on 0508 22 66 72. They offer bias-free and hassle-free advice on power providers available to you.

Visit Power Compare