How to save money on electricity: How I slashed my electricity bill by $20 a month with one daily tweak

When I read that the Australian Electricity Regulator is planning to hike prices from July 1 for customers in New South Wales, I actually breathed a sigh of relief.

A strange reaction for yet another cost increase, I know, but I’ve already significantly reduced my power bill (which comes monthly) from what it was a year ago.

I’m even on track to reduce it further by setting myself another little challenge, so by July 1 any increase shouldn’t make as big of a dent in my budget.

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My latest power bill for February 11 to March 10 came in at just $80 – big reduction from my August and September bills of $107 and my October bill of $101.

And that’s largely due to a simple habit change I made in November when I decided to have only five-minute showers, unless I needed to wash my hair or was feeling unwell.

I have long had a clock and timer in my shower so I know how long I’m spending in there, but I was mostly staying in for a good five to 10 minutes longer when the 10 minute timer went off.

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Shorter showers seemed like an easy (well, sort of, it takes commitment) way to reduce my power bill as hot water is my biggest electriticy cost.

Plus, I’d already noticed a difference in my bills from about August by ending my showers at 10 minutes instead of lingering, so cutting that in half had to help.

And it instantly made a difference, which I could see in black and white on my power company’s app. I can’t tell you how much I love that this is possible, it helps so much.

After one month my bill had gone down by $8.26 and the only thing I’d changed was the length of my showers.

Moving into December and the warmer summer months helped even more as I sometimes took even shorter and colder showers because it was too hot and I needed to cool down.

I also purchased a little desk fan that is charged by USB that I can take around the house with me to keep me cool instead of turning the air conditioner on, which also helps.

My power bill did go back up by $2 in December, which could’ve been from using the air conditioner for a long period on a hot day or I possibly got a bit slack with my five-minute showers.

I was back on track in January when my bill went down to $94 and also in February when it was $91.

But what has really made a difference in the last month is the replacement of the downlights in my living room.

These lights needed bulbs so old they’ve stopped manufacturing them.

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I’m in a rental so when I couldn’t get bulbs anymore I asked for the old fittings to be updated last September and it finally got done at the end of January.

A few days into using the new LED lights and I could see on the app that my estimated power bill total dropped dramatically. It helps that the lights are so bright I mostly only need to use them in one half of the room, which would also help with the cost.

That brings my latest monthly bill to $80 – more than $20 lower than when I started having shorter showers.

Both shorter showers and converting down lights to LEDs can save hundreds of dollars a year and if you have a multi-person household you could even save thousands if everyone takes shorter showers.

I will admit taking shorter showers isn’t easy and could be challenging when winter sets in. But it’s helped by having a shower timer to keep track and let me know when the time is up with annoying beeps.

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Another big help is my electricity retailer’s app, where I can see a projected total of my monthly bill and usage so far. Anytime I see that the number has reduced from the last time I looked, I get a burst of excitement and more motivation that I’m on the right track.

I also get an email update in the middle of the month letting me know what I’m spending the most money on – it’s still hot water, but there’s only so much I can do to change that.

So I recommend downloading your electricity provider’s app to keep an eye on your usage in real time, not a month or three months later for those getting quarterly bills.

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And that brings me to my challenge for March. I’m going to turn off every possible power point (fridge excepted, along with the microwave and air con but only because I can’t reach the switches) when it’s not in use.

Standby power only costs me a few dollars a month but it’s still a few dollars I can save and something I can do.

I will also set aside time to call my provider and ask if I’m eligible for a cheaper plan, because – and this is another good tip – they now have to state on electricity bills if you could be on a cheaper plan.

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My recent bill states that if I’m eligible I could save up to $170 on this other plan, so it’s worth looking into.

I know this all takes effort, but I’ve seen the proof that simple changes can save a bit of money.

The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

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