With energy prices on the rise this winter we wanted to make sure we provide you with all the support you need to get through the cold winter months comfortably, and minimise electricity bill stress. Our Enova Community Head Energy Coach, Seb Crangle, has provided his key recommendations for your consideration to help you use electricity wisely this winter, while also remaining comfortable in your home. 

Seb's top advice to keep you warm this winter, without the electricity bill shock

SEB CRANGLE: Your home doesn’t have to be uncomfortably cold in winter, and you shouldn’t need to use huge amounts of energy to keep it warm either. I'm Enova Community’s Energy Coach, and I'm going to share with you some key tips to keeping warm this winter whilst minimising your overall energy consumption.  

Many of us live in cold houses. Even in parts of Australia known for their tropical climate, homes can be ridiculously cold in winter because they were not designed to withstand the cold. Think a “leaky” timber ‘Queenslander’ in Toowoomba (Qld) or Murwillumbah (NSW), or a cheaply constructed project home in Coffs Harbour. And yet, there’s plenty you can do to improve a home’s “thermal performance” after it’s built, and a variety of ways to conserve the heat you generate.  

When you’re suffering in a cold house the hard-core amongst us will tell you to 'suck it up and put on another jumper'… but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are plenty of smart ways to make your house more comfortable, and without necessarily using more electricity / gas in the process.  

Here are my top recommendations: 

• Stop the leaks
  Draughts sap heat from a house like nothing else. Fill any gaps your house has, under doors, in floor boards, around poorly fitting windows. There are many draught proofing products available for these scenarios available at your hardware store. Or, get in a professional. How can you find the draughts? Shut the house up on a windy day, and move around the perimeter of the house with a stick of incense or a candle and look for movement in the smoke or flame.
   
  
• Section your house
  The more rooms you’re trying to heat, the harder it will be (and the more energy you will use).  Think about which rooms you most want to keep warm, and those you don’t need to, and cover the entrances between them. If there isn’t a door, hang a thick curtain. Even if there is a door, put a draught stopper at the bottom of it so heat doesn’t escape under it. If you can stick to heating just one main area your heaters won’t have to work nearly as hard, and are more likely to maintain a comfortable temperature.
  
  
• Beware of the fan heater! 
  Sadly the cheapest heaters generally use the most energy. A small fan or oil heater will often use 2000 Watts, meaning that an hour of use will use 2kW of energy. To put that in context, the average 2-3 person home in northern NSW uses 15 kWh per day in winter,  so using one fan heater for 2 hours (4kWh) would use more than 25% of that average.  If you can afford an efficient reverse cycle air conditioner (or have one you don’t use) it will be in the order of 4 times more efficient than a fan heater in converting electricity to heat.
   
  
• Insulate
  Most houses don’t have enough insulation in ceilings, walls and under floors. Start by having a look in your ceiling cavity (safely) to see how much insulation there is directly above your ceiling. You’d be surprised how many ceilings I see without any insulation, or with a tokenistic thin layer (R2 to be technical, about 12 cm thick). Insulation is one of the most cost effective ways to improve the thermal performance of an old house.  
   
  
• Use a heated throw
  If it’s costing you too much to heat your home, or your whole living area, the most cost effective way of keeping warm, is to just warm yourself! An inexpensive heated throw blanket is incredibly good way at keeping toasty warm, for a couple of cents an hour. Note however that some people are sensitive to covering themselves with an electric circuit, and be sure to get one with a thermostat and timer.
  
  
• Get help!
  Believe it or not there are people with expertise in making homes more energy efficient and temperature resilient, and they love it! 
  
  Part of my own role at Enova Community Energy is to provide a free 30 minute phone consultation, which you can request via this web-form:  https://www.enovaenergy.com.au/products-and-services/energy-coach-request.
  
  Enova Energy also has a knowledgeable and approachable Customer Service team who can help you to identify any rebates or concessions you are entitled to. Find out more about this here. 

Okay, now that you’re armed with these 'hot tips', you have ways to make your home warmer this winter, without resigning yourself to living in a cold house, and/or using huge amounts of energy to fight a losing (and costly) battle with the cold.  

More Energy Efficiency Resources from Enova Energy and Seb

Enova is on a mission to help you understand energy and how to use it efficiently! We hope this is useful and that it helps get you through the coming winter.

Households with solar have an opportunity to rearrange their approach by using their solar energy generated during the day. That’s great! Here’s a handy guide to help you do that.

Non-solar households can also take some useful measures to minimise the impact of winter energy costs: Tips to avoid a winter bill blow out.

We want to stress though, if you’re at home (working or not!) and you’re cold, put the heater on, layer up, get out the woollen jumpers, Ugg boots and blankets.

Stay warm! This is not about depriving yourself of comfort. Rather, it’s about staying comfortable in the most energy-efficient way.

Energy efficiency tips still apply

As always, the general energy efficiency tips still apply! Here are some of our favourites:

1. Use smart lighting habits - LED bulbs use 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Be sure to turn off the lights when you leave a room.
   
   
2. Conserve in the laundry room - Doing laundry can use a lot of energy. The washer and dryer alone use energy to operate, but both also use heat. To keep costs down, try using these appliances and their heat elements as little as possible. Wash and dry full loads and try washing as much as possible in cold water. If you can, hang your laundry to dry. This will also reduce wear and tear on your clothes.
   
   
3. Check your refrigerator - Is your refrigerator set at the right temperature? If it’s too cold, it could be costing you money. Check with the manufacturer to find the recommended temperature. Additionally, make sure your refrigerator door is not letting cold air escape and making your refrigerator work harder.

We understand that costs of living are rising and along with that the cost of electricity. Energy efficiency measures and principles will start to become standard household practices. There are more great tips and efficiency advice for winter and all year round in some of our previous blogs: 10 tips to avoid bill shock. You can learn more energy efficiency tips here. 

As you can see there are things you can do around your home to reduce your need to reply solely on electricity for getting through winter. We hope this is of good use and a help during these interesting times in the energy market.