{Originally published on Lightening Online}.

We recently received notification from our electricity supplier that charges are about to increase. No surprises there. The cost of living is really putting the squeeze on the average household. BUT, we are not powerless (hee, hee - excuse the pun). Now more than ever is a great time to work hard on reducing our usage so that we can reduce the overall impact on such increases.

1. Build Healthy Habits

One of the biggest wastages of power is the habit of not turning things off when not in use. Cultivate the habit of turning out lights when you leave a room and turning off appliance (if you can reach the power point) when not in use.

Image via Wikimedia/Copyright © 2005 David Monniaux

2. Make Use of What Nature Has to Offer

In winter you want to open up the curtains (window coverings) on a sunny day and make sure you close them again BEFORE the sun goes down to trap warmth inside and not allow the night chill to enter the house through the glass.

In summer, it’s more important to keep the sun OUT during the day and open up the house at night to take advantage of the cooler night air.

3. Consider Solar Hot Water

Here in Australia we get quite a LOT of sun. Solar Hot Water systems are getting cheaper and cheaper (and there are now models available that will connect to your current hot water system). Consider not just how long it will take to recoup your costs at the CURRENT level of electricity cost but also the fact that prices WILL rise over the decade or more the system lasts.

4. Dress Appropriately

I think many of us are spoilt when it comes to temperature control. I hear stories of countries where it is normal to walk around in shorts and t-shirt in winter and just bump up the heat to accommodate. It is honestly not that HARD to wear clothing appropriate to the weather. Around here, if you’re not already wearing a jumper AND socks/slippers, there is NO complaining about being cold. The same goes for summer. Wear light-weight clothes and if you have long hair, pull it up off your neck. It’s amazing what a difference that can make.

5. Snuggle Up

Give everyone in the family a snuggle blanket for watching tv during the cold winter mornings and evenings.

6. Consider Using a Slow Cooker for Cooking Roasts

Despite taking longer to cook, the slow cooker will still cost you considerably LESS to cook a roast than the oven will. And it will taste DELICIOUS. Since starting to use the slow cooker for roasts, I’ve not returned to using the oven again. If you’re a fan of brown crispy outsides you can brown the roast before putting it into the slow cooker or finish it off in the oven.

7. Keep Things In Good Working Order

Simple tasks like cleaning the filters on vacuum cleaners, heaters & air conditioners, tumble dryers and exhaust fans will enable them to work at peak efficiency. If things get clogged up, the appliance will have to work harder to achieve the same job and therefore you’re likely to use more power, more time and lessen the life of the appliance.

8. Line Dry Clothes

This is actually a reasonably common practise in Australia, although with our lifestyle getting busier and busier it is becoming a lost art in places. Clothes dryers use quite a lot of power so hanging clothes on a line (inside or in a shed, under a verandah etc) can save quite a LOT of electricity/power over time.

9. Use Man Power

Have you noticed how we seem to have electrified everything these days. From can openers to slicers, dicers, peelers, graters and on goes the list. Once upon a time all of this work was down by HAND. Most of us (me included) have energy to burn so why not use our own instead of plugging in to some force that comes through the power point in the wall?

10. Phone Your Power Company

Give them a call and ask them if there is anyway they can suggest to reduce your bill. One quick phone call from us and we managed to secure an ongoing 5% discount. You won’t get if you don’t ask.

Over To You

Can you add 1 tip for saving on electricity/power that hasn’t already been mentioned either here or in comments already? I know there are hundreds of ways to reduce our consumption of electricity/power which is not only great for our bank balances but also for the environment.

Editors pick by Catnip at Catnip and Coffee. I thought this post from Lightening was very timely. We’re all facing higher heating costs this winter and these are great tips for reducing your energy use. Lightening, a fellow Blog Nosh Editor, can be found at her personal blog Lightening Online where you can subscribe to her feed. Check out her about page for links to all of her other sites, and don’t forget to follow her on twitter.