Smarter heating and hot water tips to save money

You don't always need to spend big to save big. Making your current setup work smarter can make a real difference.

• Tackle your hot water first. Your hot water cylinder should be set to 60°C to prevent nasty bugs from growing. Any hotter is just wasting power. Also, fixing a single dripping hot tap can save a surprising amount of money over a year.
• Use your heater wisely. Only heat the rooms you're in and close the doors to other spaces. It's also a myth that leaving a heat pump on 24/7 saves money – it's much better to only run it when you're home.
• Clean your heat pump filter regularly. A clogged heat pump filter makes the system work harder (and cost more) to keep your house warm. Give it a clean each month — it’s easy, quick, and according to EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) saves around $50 each year.
• Wash your clothes in cold water. Modern detergents work just fine in the cold, and a hot wash can use nearly 10 times more power.

If your appliances are on their last legs, upgrading can lead to major savings down the track. The best time to invest is usually when you need to replace something anyway.

Appliances like heat pumps and modern hot water heat pumps are super efficient and can significantly lower your bills. While they cost more upfront, their low running costs make them cheaper over time.

To see what you could save by upgrading, you can use the home energy savings calculator on the Gen Less website.