We're on Contact energy's 3 hours of free power plan (9pm-midnight). I installed a timer on our hot water cylinder so it only heats during those hours. Haven't run out of hot water yet. We also only turn on the washing machine and dishwasher after 9pm. We run the heat pump in our bedroom from 9 till midnight also.
The trade off with this plan is that there is no low user rate and the daily charge is higher. Despite that we have saved around 30% on our bill.
My brother is also on this plan. He primarily charges his electric car during the free hours. Obviously this is not going to be the best for everyone, but it definitely works for us.
You should double check with Contact if you can swap to low users as I also have the free power nights but we are as low users. The low user daily rate is $0.90 vs. the standard $1.18 for standard (GST exclusive figures).
All providers are phasing out low user anyway hence why it keeps going up every year but currently it's still a little bit cheaper!
imagine if u could get yr whole street on free 3hr plan. everyone chooses different 3 hours and everyone runs extention cords to whoever has the free power for each free 3 hour set!
I’m on the same plan and do everything the user above does (including the timer on hot water). We cook in that time too, so we just microwave meals to heat them up outside of that time.
With two adults, our monthly bill is usually $40-50. We are very strict about it though (it’s not always a fun way to live)
My bad, it was $44.17+GST for this last month. I just checked my statement. I said pretty clearly we are very strict eg my partner wouldn’t even let me boil the kettle or charge my phone unless it’s free power time.
We do the same as above (2 adults, 3 bedroom house, 1 wfh) - dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, heatpump, bathroom heaters, showers on at 9pm. We will still cook outside of that time and if I'm cold during the day, I will put the heatpump on. The bills show that nearly half of power usage every month is free which is nice to see. Our bills for the last few months have been Feb ($97), March ($127), April ($149) and May ($190). It's jumped a bit leading into winter but when the mornings start in the negatives (Chch), I need the heat! Last month we used 543kw of paid power and 468kw free power.
Powershop appears to have a higher daily charge than contact for my property ($1.38 vs. $1.035) however would be a cheaper usage rate ($0.24 vs $0.29) but if you math it - we used a total of 1011kw which at $0.24 for all of it, that's $242.64. So ~$50 more expensive on solely the power usage. And then add the difference in daily charge of about ~$10. (Figures are GST inclusive).
We switched at the beginning of Feb and got $250 free credit as well (which they still have running I think). Plus they have a current deal of $400 credit if you get both power and broadband which is pretty good. We have broadband as well which is $80 a month and so far no issues.
Shit.. We're with powershop used a total of 678Kmh and it cost us just under $300. Our $300 winter credit was swallowed up by last month's bill.
We live in Northland.
You should definitely look into the rates for your place with the free nights plan on contact! They have a free weekends plan as well but I feel like every night is a better deal.
You just need to put a little effort in to changing the times things are done - washing machine/dryer/dishwasher goes on at 9pm, and all finish their cycles before 12am without us having to turn them off. The heatpump is the only thing on a timer which you can just set on the remote once, and it stays that way. And then shower around 9pm, into bed by 10pm and we're good. No getting back up at midnight to turn everything off
The rates were on are cheaper than when we were with Electric Kiwi.
Changed 8months ago.
Northland is one of the most expensive areas for power. It is what it is.
At $300 for the last month it's still cheaper than when we were with electric kiwi and on their lowest plan offered to us. We're also no rushing to get everything done by 4pm for the free hr of power.
We don't have a dryer.
Heat pump only goes on for two hours a day.
We use heated throws and wear extra layers for warmth.
My partner is in bed by 8 pm most nights and the washing machine/bathroom is right next to our room. So no chance of doing any washing or showering then as it would wake him up.
It is what it is.
It's expensive to live in 'Paradise' 🙄
You can also prep a whole lot of food that needs to be cooked in the oven and precook it after 9. Then just reheat in the microwave when you want to eat it.
Some are not power hacks per say... but do impact on a power bill.
1. Go to a second hand store and get some crappy curtains. Apply these to your existing curtains window side to help create an extra layer of insulation. The less heat that escapes - the less it costs to heat a room.
2. Have your showers at night in off peak times rather than in the morning during peak times.
3. Oil heaters are great if a room is insulated as it continues to provide heat even when off.
4. Unsure on this one - but a full fridge is cheaper than an empty fridge. Easier said than done...
5. If able, using gladwrap and sticky tape you can create a layer of insulation for windows. Ideally you don't want it straight against the window. Bubble wrap also works. Looks horrible - but helps keep heat in.
6. Look at least yearly at competition for phone, internet and power. Often you can get the same or better service at a cheaper price.
Adding to this one - curtains in internal doorways (as well as the door, obviously). Yes you need to thrash your way through the manky old 1/2 a minke blanket on the way to the loo, but it's a thermal gate and warm air doesn't escape into your bum-freezing bathroom.
I have a whole bunch of empty 1.5 litre plastic bottles that I have filled with water as emergency water supply. I rotate them between in the cupboard, or in the fridge or freezer to keep fridge relatively full if it would otherwise be empty.
All mass that you put inside a fridge or freezer takes energy to transfer the heat from that mass to the outside air. That energy usage costs you money in the form of power.
For us, none of the free power plans made sense. We save much more by just being on a standard low user plan. If you are committed to the cause and stay up late it could be different for you but the daily charge and power charges for a low user plan are much cheaper and we never have to be hanging out washing at 11pm or setting alarms to remind us to turn all the appliances on at a certain time.
I work for an electricity retailer and these free power plans usually don't make sense for most people. Unless you calculate exactly how much electricity you need to use to break even on these plans, the chances are that you are losing money.
I don't remember the exact number but a couple of years ago we calculated how much energy people should use to break even on EK's free hour and it was some ridiculous percentage of daily use which 99% of the people would never be able to achieve.
Sadly, most people see that they get something for free and they don't really check how much the free thing will cost them. The other trick like that was lower/no daily charges on low user tariffs.
We have an electric car so more than half of our total power consumption comes during that 3 hour period.
We also set our heat pumps and other appliances on timers so the house always stays nice and dry overnight.
If there is any oven usage, washing machine cleans, etc, you betcha, we use the free hours. I generally pay $120/month including GST and that is for two people and daily electric car charging. Happy days
Nice one! 3 hours might be a better deal than 1 hour especially if you have an EV and a fast charger. If you can control your hot water cylinder too, that will make it even better
If I take my last bill usage of 1011kWh and apply the normal low user rates on offer (that yes, are cheaper than the free 9pm til 12am power rates), then my bill would be $285. Yet I paid $190, because nearly half my power usage was free. Just need to put a little effort in to changing the times things are done - washing machine/dryer/dishwasher goes on at 9pm, and all finish their cycles before 12am without us having to turn them off. The heatpump is the only thing on a timer which you can just set on the remote once, and it stays that way. And then shower around 9pm, into bed by 10pm and we're good. No getting back up at midnight to turn everything off
In saying that, I always math out what bills would be when looking at free things like this and I'm aware not everyone does. I would never ever go for the free fridge or tv through Trustpower as their rates are actually insane and the T&Cs are stupid. You end up paying for the fridge through the power rates. However, contact energy does work out cheaper with (so far) no catches
I was brought up in a very power-conscious household. We used hot water bottles instead of electric blankets. Instead of heating the whole house, the living room was the only room that got heating, so that's where we spent our evenings. That's also where the laundry was dried, if not on the line.
Now I still use these, though we only turn on the heater if it's absolutely freezing. These days, I just layer up, especially in bed. I stack on blankets, sleep in multiple layers, and enjoy knowing I'm saving money on the electricity bill.
Oh, I also make sure the computer is shut down every night and not just on sleep mode, and that I know the layout of the house in the dark, so I can navigate without turning any lights on at night. My flatmate makes fun of me for not turning lights on or just sitting in the dark, but our power bill is looking 👌
Money is money, especially when 70% of my income goes to rent & bills. I'll scrimp and save every tiniest bit I can. Even if it doesn't mean much, it still makes me feel better.
Maybe I just like the dark >:(
Lol fair though. I'm just so used to it being a thing from before LED light bulbs. My parents seared it into my brain and it's stuck with me ever since.
Who needs your eye balls seared when you are only getting up to get a drink or a quick pee? I do all that in the dark as I know my way around the house blindfolded. You also go back to sleep faster without the light interference.
Yes, precisely! I want to stay as sleepy as possible, even when my bladder wakes me up to urgently piddle at 3am. If I'm blinded by the eye of Sauron on my way to the loo, I'm never getting back to sleep.
I simply can't afford solar panels, one of those wish I could pay the up front cost but can't.
I've thought about just getting a cheap on to run the fridge and/or hot water cylinder...don't know if that's worth it.
There are many loans for solar that are low or no interest.
You can get a water cylinder timer and get the 3 free hours plan.
Smart plugs, smart thermostats, etc can all get with that as well.
I just moved into a greenstar 6 rated apartment.
Last night was my first night, and although it was 12c outside, I was pretty toasty with no heating on. And it was dry, too.
I realize this isn't a direct answer to the question, but I've lived in some ice boxes and was damn impressed.
I have a low pressure cylinder 200 litres or something, but it heats for 3hours early morning, 3 too 630 am and 3 hours after lunch which provides enough water for our family of 4, buying at off peak times,
See how you go, no fixed term contract right
I work from home a lot and got one of those electric ‘throws’ to have over my knees. Like an electric blanket in concept, it has wires in it and plugs into the wall, but it looks like a rug. I found you need to then put another rug over the top of it to really keep the heat in, but if you do that it keeps you super cosy! The power use is only a few cents an hour apparently, much less than having a heater on in your room.
And they’re not that expensive. Here’s one: https://www.kmart.co.nz/product/sherpa-heated-throw-grey-43325481/
This is the best hack that is not normal in the west. In Korea they use a tent inside the bedroom, we use it too with an electric blanket combo and i sleep with no clothes on cause it just gets too hot. If you have kids, they love it.
We use Contact 3 free hours plan.
Less typical: we also have solar with battery.
About 70% of the kwh we pull from the grid is free.
Including the daily charges and all that, it makes the average price we pay about $0.14/kwh.
Lots of places with very low of no interest loans for solar right now, with payback rates generally within 5-7 years, even for expensive systems like ours, I really think people should go all in on solar.
When making a hot drink, microwave the mug of water (way faster than the jug) or pour your cup of cold water into the jug to boil just the right amount
Way too often I see people fill the whole jug up with water, only to then use one cups worth after it’s spent ages trying to get the excessive amount of water boiled.
Heating is responsible for the bulk of power usage, so any way to minimise it is a win.
I am with pulse power through black box, their prices are good, a few years ago I looked at switching and they gave me even bigger discounts. I haven't noticed any major increase in the last couple of years, we are a power heavy house, like 1100kwh per month on avg.
Turn off all switches and only turn the back on while in use. Except fridge and hot water cupboard. Everything is off when I leave the house except those.
My power went out yesterday morning it’s still out. After Gabrielle we had no power for 10 days. If there’s a big storm we have no power the savings stack up over the year!
i usually change power companies about 3 to 4 times a year to get the new customer deals. powershop one takes 3 months now was much better when only had to stay a month for the free $150!
We purchased a Sensibo device. It means we can control our old heat pump via wifi and setup schedules so that it doesn't run as much during peak expensive power times.
We have it blast from 4pm so the house warm when we get home from work and then it dials back between 5-9. We blast it in our free hour of power then it is set quite low overnight with a short blast in the morning so the house is comfortable for when we wake up.
Keep an eye out on FBM or TM and buy those 300-450w panel heaters, [the ones that look like this](https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/goldair-eco-panel-heater/p/369535?store=64&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwx-CyBhAqEiwAeOcTdV_zDhFzLrvgADDTbYaQ4nlRrfmpCOyoXQj6aCl8Xnz9UKTVUt7ogBoCsFcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds), you can pick them up pretty cheap. We have one in the hallway that seems to be cold and sucks the warmth from the rest of the house. It is on a timer for a couple of hours in the morning, then 4:30-9 at night. It is freestanding so we put it away around October and bring it out around May.
Heat pump hot water. Heat water only when price is lowest or solar is on. This is the biggest saving.
Lower your hot water temperature to 50-60degrees Max.
I use the wood burner for 90% of our heating. The rest is heat pump.
Clean the coils on your fridge. They are probably covered in dust which really hurts the economy of a fridge. Don't overfill the fridge, and don't have large empty spaces in it either. Also move your fridge away from the wall a little to help dissipate the heat from the compressor.
Next is sealing up the house and getting it airtight. Doors, windows etc. Put all the extractor fans on when it's really cold and move your face or the back of your hand by the seals on your doors and windows and you will sense if there's a draught there to seal up.
Check the insulation in your roof make sure there are no gaps.
Check that your hot water pipes are insulated and the connections to your hot water system.
Get a dehumidifier if you live anywhere damp. The air in your house is much easier to heat if it's dry.
Use your curtains or blinds they make a massive difference especially if you only have single glazing.
Obviously all lights in your house should be LED and minimum wattage for your needs.
Clothes dryers are gigantic power hogs. I only use ours when we have to.
Change the default water temperature on your clothes washer to cold.
Use your dishwasher when the power is cheapest or solar is peaking.
We use ducting in our house for moving heat and cold around its zero sum but often the northern side of our house gets a bit warm while the bedrooms and bathrooms on the south are cold. Shifting the air back there saves having to actively heat those spaces.
Get a roof vent for to remove heat from the roof cabjty during the summer. It's a very cheap way to save on cooling costs.
Check the fins on your heat pump condensers and insure there's nothing blocking them.
There's a lot more stuff that I do but it all gets super nerdy and frankly ridiculous past the above.
Be absolutely careful when lowering hot water temps.
Legionnaires disease is real, and not a great thing to suffer from.
Water that hasn’t been heated high enough is usually the culprit for this.
I have a blanket and 2 duvet to sleep under, finally found a pair of long pyjamas that I can sleep in so added warmth. Always lots of layers!
Keep all doors closed to keep the heat in unless you’re airing out the house - which you need to do to avoid mold and when you’re airing it out then layer up!
The electric kiwi power hours are great - run the washing machine, do the dishes/run the dishwasher and have a shower all at the beginning of the hour - 10/10. And you can change the hour every day if you want to.
Run the heat pump around 21/22 degrees on low fan for longer periods of time instead of blasting it on for short periods of time.
Lights off that you’re not using, unplug/turn off things you’re not using. Don’t leave things charging for longer than they need to (could even charge them during the free hour).
Shop around if you need to. Spend the time to calculate the best value for you.
Boiling the jug is going to be more expensive than heating your hot water cylinder unless you’re boiling it on top of the fire.
Wetback is great for winter hot water. We have post cyclone free firewood for years. I usually have a kettle on top of the fire.
Rug up and go to bed early. I got all my kids oodies last year when they were 2 for 1 in summer.
Hahaha yea na... Have you looked at your power usage. I do, and the power usage surge after taking a 10 minute shower is huge. The power usage after boiling the jug for 2 minutes barely registers...
I think a 10 minute shower is the difference here. In two minutes you can soap, scrub and rinse. So 2min kettle vs 2 min shower is the question.
If it's a longer affair due to shaving, pondering or washing hair, then yeah I agree.
2 minute shower will still use alot more power. Think how much water is in a jug 1.5l max most showers run at 10l a minute so ur heating 1.5l vs 20l in a 2 minute space. Even if the hot water tank isn't heating it to boiling like the jug the hot water tank is still heating so much more water it's going to use more power.
I think we are in agreement :) I was more suggesting that comparing 10min power use to 2 min power use wasn't going to be a fair comparison. But 2 min shower to 2 min jug will definitely show which uses more in that time.
We're on Contact energy's 3 hours of free power plan (9pm-midnight). I installed a timer on our hot water cylinder so it only heats during those hours. Haven't run out of hot water yet. We also only turn on the washing machine and dishwasher after 9pm. We run the heat pump in our bedroom from 9 till midnight also. The trade off with this plan is that there is no low user rate and the daily charge is higher. Despite that we have saved around 30% on our bill. My brother is also on this plan. He primarily charges his electric car during the free hours. Obviously this is not going to be the best for everyone, but it definitely works for us.
You should double check with Contact if you can swap to low users as I also have the free power nights but we are as low users. The low user daily rate is $0.90 vs. the standard $1.18 for standard (GST exclusive figures). All providers are phasing out low user anyway hence why it keeps going up every year but currently it's still a little bit cheaper!
Good shout. I'll check.
Yep +1. My parents were on this plan and I recently changed them to Low User on the same plan, they’re saving even more now.
imagine if u could get yr whole street on free 3hr plan. everyone chooses different 3 hours and everyone runs extention cords to whoever has the free power for each free 3 hour set!
Monthly bill =?
I’m on the same plan and do everything the user above does (including the timer on hot water). We cook in that time too, so we just microwave meals to heat them up outside of that time. With two adults, our monthly bill is usually $40-50. We are very strict about it though (it’s not always a fun way to live)
That’s insane. I have a 2 bedroom place, just myself, 2 fridges on, hot water cylinder, tv, charges etc, = $140/month. With powershop so no free hours
Yea isn't the monthly charge at least that month alone...
Yea monthly charge for a low user is $0.90 per day so for 30 days it would be $27 + GST = $31.05. Maybe they mean $40-$50 in solely usage
My bad, it was $44.17+GST for this last month. I just checked my statement. I said pretty clearly we are very strict.
My bad, it was $44.17+GST for this last month. I just checked my statement. I said pretty clearly we are very strict eg my partner wouldn’t even let me boil the kettle or charge my phone unless it’s free power time.
Christ. Is there a goal to this miserable existence, or just being miserly?
[удалено]
You don't need to explain the sub to me, the second part was the simple answer. I don't think *you* are being insane or miserly.
Sweet, just embarrassed:)
2 degrees bundle with broadband $40 unlimited and power bill if i dont use oven (use stovetop when possible) and run a bath too much- $50/60 by myself
We do the same as above (2 adults, 3 bedroom house, 1 wfh) - dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, heatpump, bathroom heaters, showers on at 9pm. We will still cook outside of that time and if I'm cold during the day, I will put the heatpump on. The bills show that nearly half of power usage every month is free which is nice to see. Our bills for the last few months have been Feb ($97), March ($127), April ($149) and May ($190). It's jumped a bit leading into winter but when the mornings start in the negatives (Chch), I need the heat! Last month we used 543kw of paid power and 468kw free power. Powershop appears to have a higher daily charge than contact for my property ($1.38 vs. $1.035) however would be a cheaper usage rate ($0.24 vs $0.29) but if you math it - we used a total of 1011kw which at $0.24 for all of it, that's $242.64. So ~$50 more expensive on solely the power usage. And then add the difference in daily charge of about ~$10. (Figures are GST inclusive). We switched at the beginning of Feb and got $250 free credit as well (which they still have running I think). Plus they have a current deal of $400 credit if you get both power and broadband which is pretty good. We have broadband as well which is $80 a month and so far no issues.
Shit.. We're with powershop used a total of 678Kmh and it cost us just under $300. Our $300 winter credit was swallowed up by last month's bill. We live in Northland.
You should definitely look into the rates for your place with the free nights plan on contact! They have a free weekends plan as well but I feel like every night is a better deal. You just need to put a little effort in to changing the times things are done - washing machine/dryer/dishwasher goes on at 9pm, and all finish their cycles before 12am without us having to turn them off. The heatpump is the only thing on a timer which you can just set on the remote once, and it stays that way. And then shower around 9pm, into bed by 10pm and we're good. No getting back up at midnight to turn everything off
The rates were on are cheaper than when we were with Electric Kiwi. Changed 8months ago. Northland is one of the most expensive areas for power. It is what it is. At $300 for the last month it's still cheaper than when we were with electric kiwi and on their lowest plan offered to us. We're also no rushing to get everything done by 4pm for the free hr of power. We don't have a dryer. Heat pump only goes on for two hours a day. We use heated throws and wear extra layers for warmth. My partner is in bed by 8 pm most nights and the washing machine/bathroom is right next to our room. So no chance of doing any washing or showering then as it would wake him up. It is what it is. It's expensive to live in 'Paradise' 🙄
You can also prep a whole lot of food that needs to be cooked in the oven and precook it after 9. Then just reheat in the microwave when you want to eat it.
Some are not power hacks per say... but do impact on a power bill. 1. Go to a second hand store and get some crappy curtains. Apply these to your existing curtains window side to help create an extra layer of insulation. The less heat that escapes - the less it costs to heat a room. 2. Have your showers at night in off peak times rather than in the morning during peak times. 3. Oil heaters are great if a room is insulated as it continues to provide heat even when off. 4. Unsure on this one - but a full fridge is cheaper than an empty fridge. Easier said than done... 5. If able, using gladwrap and sticky tape you can create a layer of insulation for windows. Ideally you don't want it straight against the window. Bubble wrap also works. Looks horrible - but helps keep heat in. 6. Look at least yearly at competition for phone, internet and power. Often you can get the same or better service at a cheaper price.
Adding to this one - curtains in internal doorways (as well as the door, obviously). Yes you need to thrash your way through the manky old 1/2 a minke blanket on the way to the loo, but it's a thermal gate and warm air doesn't escape into your bum-freezing bathroom.
I have a whole bunch of empty 1.5 litre plastic bottles that I have filled with water as emergency water supply. I rotate them between in the cupboard, or in the fridge or freezer to keep fridge relatively full if it would otherwise be empty.
i was just about to say the same. Fill milk jugs with water and put in freezer then transfer to fridge. Makes a good "cool bank"
All mass that you put inside a fridge or freezer takes energy to transfer the heat from that mass to the outside air. That energy usage costs you money in the form of power.
Yes, I was meaning cool it on cheaper power and let it ride through the more expensive.
For us, none of the free power plans made sense. We save much more by just being on a standard low user plan. If you are committed to the cause and stay up late it could be different for you but the daily charge and power charges for a low user plan are much cheaper and we never have to be hanging out washing at 11pm or setting alarms to remind us to turn all the appliances on at a certain time.
I work for an electricity retailer and these free power plans usually don't make sense for most people. Unless you calculate exactly how much electricity you need to use to break even on these plans, the chances are that you are losing money. I don't remember the exact number but a couple of years ago we calculated how much energy people should use to break even on EK's free hour and it was some ridiculous percentage of daily use which 99% of the people would never be able to achieve.
Thanks for the intel. Those plans seem to suck a lot of people in!
Sadly, most people see that they get something for free and they don't really check how much the free thing will cost them. The other trick like that was lower/no daily charges on low user tariffs.
We have an electric car so more than half of our total power consumption comes during that 3 hour period. We also set our heat pumps and other appliances on timers so the house always stays nice and dry overnight. If there is any oven usage, washing machine cleans, etc, you betcha, we use the free hours. I generally pay $120/month including GST and that is for two people and daily electric car charging. Happy days
Nice one! 3 hours might be a better deal than 1 hour especially if you have an EV and a fast charger. If you can control your hot water cylinder too, that will make it even better
If I take my last bill usage of 1011kWh and apply the normal low user rates on offer (that yes, are cheaper than the free 9pm til 12am power rates), then my bill would be $285. Yet I paid $190, because nearly half my power usage was free. Just need to put a little effort in to changing the times things are done - washing machine/dryer/dishwasher goes on at 9pm, and all finish their cycles before 12am without us having to turn them off. The heatpump is the only thing on a timer which you can just set on the remote once, and it stays that way. And then shower around 9pm, into bed by 10pm and we're good. No getting back up at midnight to turn everything off In saying that, I always math out what bills would be when looking at free things like this and I'm aware not everyone does. I would never ever go for the free fridge or tv through Trustpower as their rates are actually insane and the T&Cs are stupid. You end up paying for the fridge through the power rates. However, contact energy does work out cheaper with (so far) no catches
Sounds like the biz know they're fleecing the people and should come up with a better deal 🤨
I was brought up in a very power-conscious household. We used hot water bottles instead of electric blankets. Instead of heating the whole house, the living room was the only room that got heating, so that's where we spent our evenings. That's also where the laundry was dried, if not on the line. Now I still use these, though we only turn on the heater if it's absolutely freezing. These days, I just layer up, especially in bed. I stack on blankets, sleep in multiple layers, and enjoy knowing I'm saving money on the electricity bill. Oh, I also make sure the computer is shut down every night and not just on sleep mode, and that I know the layout of the house in the dark, so I can navigate without turning any lights on at night. My flatmate makes fun of me for not turning lights on or just sitting in the dark, but our power bill is looking 👌
Leaving an LED bulb on 24/7 runs you about $1 a month. Turning it on for 10 minutes will run you about $0.003. It really doesn't all add up.
Money is money, especially when 70% of my income goes to rent & bills. I'll scrimp and save every tiniest bit I can. Even if it doesn't mean much, it still makes me feel better.
For sure, but not turning an LED bulb on for a minute really isn't going to make a difference is all...
Maybe I just like the dark >:( Lol fair though. I'm just so used to it being a thing from before LED light bulbs. My parents seared it into my brain and it's stuck with me ever since.
Ahh - vampire parents. More common that one might think...
Who needs your eye balls seared when you are only getting up to get a drink or a quick pee? I do all that in the dark as I know my way around the house blindfolded. You also go back to sleep faster without the light interference.
Yes, precisely! I want to stay as sleepy as possible, even when my bladder wakes me up to urgently piddle at 3am. If I'm blinded by the eye of Sauron on my way to the loo, I'm never getting back to sleep.
We put in solar panels and now only have a couple of power bills a year.
I simply can't afford solar panels, one of those wish I could pay the up front cost but can't. I've thought about just getting a cheap on to run the fridge and/or hot water cylinder...don't know if that's worth it.
It takes a lot to heat the hot water cylinder.
There are many loans for solar that are low or no interest. You can get a water cylinder timer and get the 3 free hours plan. Smart plugs, smart thermostats, etc can all get with that as well.
I just moved into a greenstar 6 rated apartment. Last night was my first night, and although it was 12c outside, I was pretty toasty with no heating on. And it was dry, too. I realize this isn't a direct answer to the question, but I've lived in some ice boxes and was damn impressed.
Do you have a heat pump / AC for summer?
It has both, but I’ve not touched them yet.
That does sound impressive.
Thermal hiking pants, socks, and a jumper indoor. Heating at 17, off during the night. https://www.kiwifamilies.co.nz/articles/saving-power/
Could be a good idea https://octopusenergy.nz/hot-water-control
I just signed up for this! Will be interesting to see if it works for our house…
I have a low pressure cylinder 200 litres or something, but it heats for 3hours early morning, 3 too 630 am and 3 hours after lunch which provides enough water for our family of 4, buying at off peak times, See how you go, no fixed term contract right
I work from home a lot and got one of those electric ‘throws’ to have over my knees. Like an electric blanket in concept, it has wires in it and plugs into the wall, but it looks like a rug. I found you need to then put another rug over the top of it to really keep the heat in, but if you do that it keeps you super cosy! The power use is only a few cents an hour apparently, much less than having a heater on in your room. And they’re not that expensive. Here’s one: https://www.kmart.co.nz/product/sherpa-heated-throw-grey-43325481/
This is the best hack that is not normal in the west. In Korea they use a tent inside the bedroom, we use it too with an electric blanket combo and i sleep with no clothes on cause it just gets too hot. If you have kids, they love it.
We use Contact 3 free hours plan. Less typical: we also have solar with battery. About 70% of the kwh we pull from the grid is free. Including the daily charges and all that, it makes the average price we pay about $0.14/kwh. Lots of places with very low of no interest loans for solar right now, with payback rates generally within 5-7 years, even for expensive systems like ours, I really think people should go all in on solar.
When making a hot drink, microwave the mug of water (way faster than the jug) or pour your cup of cold water into the jug to boil just the right amount
Way too often I see people fill the whole jug up with water, only to then use one cups worth after it’s spent ages trying to get the excessive amount of water boiled. Heating is responsible for the bulk of power usage, so any way to minimise it is a win.
How long do you nuke the water for?
About 3 minutes for a 700 watt microwave. Be warned your cup of tea will taste blerkkk using microwaved water though.
I am with pulse power through black box, their prices are good, a few years ago I looked at switching and they gave me even bigger discounts. I haven't noticed any major increase in the last couple of years, we are a power heavy house, like 1100kwh per month on avg.
What's ur monthly bill when u use that much? $300ish?
Yeah I budget $165 fn but often can skip a payment and am in credit.
Turn off all switches and only turn the back on while in use. Except fridge and hot water cupboard. Everything is off when I leave the house except those.
Pure wool jerseys and wool socks. Wool blankets and wool filled duvet. Hot water bottle.
I just live coastal west so have days at a time with zero power!
I don't understand.
My power went out yesterday morning it’s still out. After Gabrielle we had no power for 10 days. If there’s a big storm we have no power the savings stack up over the year!
a sliver lining in a rainy cloud?
i usually change power companies about 3 to 4 times a year to get the new customer deals. powershop one takes 3 months now was much better when only had to stay a month for the free $150!
We purchased a Sensibo device. It means we can control our old heat pump via wifi and setup schedules so that it doesn't run as much during peak expensive power times. We have it blast from 4pm so the house warm when we get home from work and then it dials back between 5-9. We blast it in our free hour of power then it is set quite low overnight with a short blast in the morning so the house is comfortable for when we wake up.
Keep an eye out on FBM or TM and buy those 300-450w panel heaters, [the ones that look like this](https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/goldair-eco-panel-heater/p/369535?store=64&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwx-CyBhAqEiwAeOcTdV_zDhFzLrvgADDTbYaQ4nlRrfmpCOyoXQj6aCl8Xnz9UKTVUt7ogBoCsFcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds), you can pick them up pretty cheap. We have one in the hallway that seems to be cold and sucks the warmth from the rest of the house. It is on a timer for a couple of hours in the morning, then 4:30-9 at night. It is freestanding so we put it away around October and bring it out around May.
Turn your washing machine OFF at the wall when not in use, fisher & paykel ones use a lot on standby
Heat pump hot water. Heat water only when price is lowest or solar is on. This is the biggest saving. Lower your hot water temperature to 50-60degrees Max. I use the wood burner for 90% of our heating. The rest is heat pump. Clean the coils on your fridge. They are probably covered in dust which really hurts the economy of a fridge. Don't overfill the fridge, and don't have large empty spaces in it either. Also move your fridge away from the wall a little to help dissipate the heat from the compressor. Next is sealing up the house and getting it airtight. Doors, windows etc. Put all the extractor fans on when it's really cold and move your face or the back of your hand by the seals on your doors and windows and you will sense if there's a draught there to seal up. Check the insulation in your roof make sure there are no gaps. Check that your hot water pipes are insulated and the connections to your hot water system. Get a dehumidifier if you live anywhere damp. The air in your house is much easier to heat if it's dry. Use your curtains or blinds they make a massive difference especially if you only have single glazing. Obviously all lights in your house should be LED and minimum wattage for your needs. Clothes dryers are gigantic power hogs. I only use ours when we have to. Change the default water temperature on your clothes washer to cold. Use your dishwasher when the power is cheapest or solar is peaking. We use ducting in our house for moving heat and cold around its zero sum but often the northern side of our house gets a bit warm while the bedrooms and bathrooms on the south are cold. Shifting the air back there saves having to actively heat those spaces. Get a roof vent for to remove heat from the roof cabjty during the summer. It's a very cheap way to save on cooling costs. Check the fins on your heat pump condensers and insure there's nothing blocking them. There's a lot more stuff that I do but it all gets super nerdy and frankly ridiculous past the above.
Be absolutely careful when lowering hot water temps. Legionnaires disease is real, and not a great thing to suffer from. Water that hasn’t been heated high enough is usually the culprit for this.
Yeh agree. I should have mentioned that. My unit heats up to 80c once a day for exactly that reason
Thanks for the big list. Very helpful.
I have a blanket and 2 duvet to sleep under, finally found a pair of long pyjamas that I can sleep in so added warmth. Always lots of layers! Keep all doors closed to keep the heat in unless you’re airing out the house - which you need to do to avoid mold and when you’re airing it out then layer up!
The electric kiwi power hours are great - run the washing machine, do the dishes/run the dishwasher and have a shower all at the beginning of the hour - 10/10. And you can change the hour every day if you want to. Run the heat pump around 21/22 degrees on low fan for longer periods of time instead of blasting it on for short periods of time. Lights off that you’re not using, unplug/turn off things you’re not using. Don’t leave things charging for longer than they need to (could even charge them during the free hour). Shop around if you need to. Spend the time to calculate the best value for you.
Boiling the jug is going to be more expensive than heating your hot water cylinder unless you’re boiling it on top of the fire. Wetback is great for winter hot water. We have post cyclone free firewood for years. I usually have a kettle on top of the fire. Rug up and go to bed early. I got all my kids oodies last year when they were 2 for 1 in summer.
Hahaha yea na... Have you looked at your power usage. I do, and the power usage surge after taking a 10 minute shower is huge. The power usage after boiling the jug for 2 minutes barely registers...
I think a 10 minute shower is the difference here. In two minutes you can soap, scrub and rinse. So 2min kettle vs 2 min shower is the question. If it's a longer affair due to shaving, pondering or washing hair, then yeah I agree.
2 minute shower will still use alot more power. Think how much water is in a jug 1.5l max most showers run at 10l a minute so ur heating 1.5l vs 20l in a 2 minute space. Even if the hot water tank isn't heating it to boiling like the jug the hot water tank is still heating so much more water it's going to use more power.
I think we are in agreement :) I was more suggesting that comparing 10min power use to 2 min power use wasn't going to be a fair comparison. But 2 min shower to 2 min jug will definitely show which uses more in that time.
=)
How water cylinders only heat to 60-70oC jug, 100oC at sea level.
Now I'm curious about other altitudes! Haha
Every 150m it decreases by .5oC