Here are six ways to save on your power bill

Tuesday, 30 April 2019

Cutting your power bill might be easier than you think, according to a free in-home coaching service launched this week.

EnergyMate is being run by electricity retailers, lines companies, community organisations and the Government, to help families at the highest risk of energy hardship to reduce their costs.

'Some whānau can struggle to pay their power bills or keep their home warm because of poorly insulated housing, low incomes and a lack of energy literacy. We want all Kiwis to live in warm, dry homes with affordable energy costs,' said Electricity Retailers' Association chief executive Cameron Burrows.

EnergyMate will work with people in hardship to get on the best plan, heat their homes in the cheapest way possible, make their homes more energy efficient and connect with services such as insulation or budgeting support.

* Electricity Price Review proposes help for struggling households

* Rising power prices pushing Kiwi households into power poverty**

A discussion document released as part of the Electricity Price Review showed 103,000 households in the 2016 financial year were in 'energy hardship' – paying more than 10 per cent of their annual income on their home power bills (figures were adjusted for inflation).

If housing costs are excluded, that figure jumps to 175,000 households, and children are over-represented in those homes, the report said.

Residential prices rose 79 per cent (figures adjusted for inflation) since 1990, while commercial prices had dropped 24 per cent.

Burrows said there were some key ways that people could cut their bills:

Right plan: 'Some families can save hundreds of dollars a year by moving to a plan that best suits their circumstances. Use Powerswitch (powerswitch.co.nz) to compare plans and retailers and find a great deal.'

Avoid using the dryer: 'Dry your clothes outside where you can. A dryer costs about $1 a load.'

Don't run a second fridge: 'Lots of Kiwis run a second fridge in the summer to keep their drinks cool, or have a second fridge going in the garage—but older fridges can cost over $200 a year to run.'

Change your lightbulbs: Burrows said switching to LED bulbs would make a difference. 'They're more efficient and last longer. Replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient LEDs can save $100 or more across your house every year.'

Turn off appliances: 'Appliances on standby can cost more than $100 a year on your power bills. Plug them all into multi-plug boards so they can all be turned off properly at the same time.'

Take shorter showers: A family of four can save more than $1 every a day by having 5 minute rather than 10 minute showers.