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15 May 2023
Reading time: 6 minutes
Posted
by
Elizabeth O’Halloran
, 2 Comments
With the winter chill setting in, it can be a challenge to stay warm and cosy when you are on a budget. Heating your home or flat can add up, so what action can you take?
The key is to start planning now - before winter begins.
Be proactive and make a plan before winter really sets in. Knowledge is power, so grab your power bill from last year and check how much it was. Use the website Powerswitch, add your details and find out if switching to another provider can save you money. If you do find a better deal, ask your current provider if they’ll beat it before you switch.
Regularly reviewing your options is a great place to start saving. It is worth asking if your retailer provides “free hours” of power and max out those more power-hungry household appliances during those times.
Even if they don’t have free hours, they might have different pricing for daytime vs nighttime or weekdays vs weekends – make sure you know when you’re getting a better price.
The biggest costs over winter are usually heating your home, using hot water and running a dryer.
How can you reduce these costs? Before the cold strikes, take steps to avoid using too much power.
The key things to investigate are:
How do you plan to heat your house this winter?
Working to a budget with your power will help prevent the surprise of unbudgeted power bills. Pop your average winter power costs (based on last winter’s bills) into our budgeting tool to see the impact on your overall budget. You might have to move some things around to get through the winter months.
Track your actual power usage throughout the month to make sure you know what to expect. Glimp.co.nz lists the electricity companies that provide apps to monitor usage. Checking in regularly on your forecast costs can also incentivise you to reduce how much your whānau use from day to day.
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Comments (2)
Comments
24 October 23
Great advice. Please be aware that FENZ recommends using electric blankets for warming your bed but asks that you turn them off before you go to sleep as they can cause fires.
11 September 23
Adrienne
I suggest that having fewer showers in a week is a big cost saver. When I was small we only had one shower or bath a week. The rest of the time we just top and tailed with the wash cloth. Everyday showering is a modern day phenomenon. It is not necessary.
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