Don’t waste money on power- hungry devices

POWER prices have been on the up and up, but inefficient appliances are causing unnecessary pocket pain.

Simply making some upgrades could lead to immediate savings of more than $ 1000 a year, according to average usage costs released by Schneider Electric and Smart Space.

The firm analysed data from Energy Watch and Canstar Blue and found incandescent light bulbs, for example, cost $ 140 a year on average, but changing that to a new LED bulb will set you back just $ 28 a year; an immediate $ 112 saving.

“Start with basic fixtures and fittings,” Smart Space director Ben Green said. “If people want to know where to start saving money, from our point of view, it’s the humble light switch.”

Washing machines and dryers were the two appliances with the biggest cost variations based on efficiency.

A washing machine with a one- star energy rating cost $ 170 a year to operate, while a fivestar model was $ 48 a year and the 10- star machine averaged just $ 10 a year.

A one- star dryer cost $ 218 a year on average, while a 10- star version cost $ 50.

Refrigerators ranged from $ 121 down to $ 12 a year, while dishwashers could be as high as $ 90, or as low as $ 4 on average.

Mr Green said Australians have become interested in offsetting rising costs.

“Over the last five years the cost of energy has doubled and people are grasping efficiency,” he said. “People want to have the option to upgrade to motorised blinds or smart sockets, which let you turn off appliances to save money. The home is a big cost centre and now owners want the ability to control that.” Mr Green is working on an initiative with developer Mirvac known as the ‘ House with No Bills’, in which a family will spend a year in a smart energy home. “The idea was to … show that you can run your daily life without incurring a bill,” Mr Green said. For average householders, heating and cooling account for around 60 per cent of energy bills, but there are costs people may not be aware of, Origin spokesman Ryan Auger said.

“Most customers know that heating and cooling are the biggest household drivers of energy bills, but they don’t always consider the impact of their other large appliances, or the power used to keep some of them in ‘ standby mode’,” Mr Auger said.

“We recommend customers buy appliances no larger than the size they need, maintain them carefully- especially refrigerator seals – and when it comes to entertainment systems, consider if standby power is a valuable use of their energy and money.” Average standby costs of a TV, microwave, games console, DVD player, computer, washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, airconditioning and wireless modem add up to more than $ 80 a year – a sum that is literally paid for nothing.

Wireless modems are the worst at $ 25 a year, followed by washing machines at $ 14.90 a year ( for low efficiency models).

“Energy efficiency is not about doing without necessities or comforts,” Mr Auger said.

“It’s about understanding exactly where you’re using energy in the home and if you don’t value that particular use, taking steps to reduce it.”