With a few smart tweaks to how you power your home, you can keep your home comfortable, healthy and warm all year round, and keep your bills down. 

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Save on hot water

Water heating makes up around a third of your household energy bills. This means that you can make some serious savings by being smart with how you heat and use hot water. 

Heat water efficiently

Hot water saving tips

  • Use a cold water wash

    Using cold water to wash clothes could save you around $50 per year, based on 4 washes per week. Modern washing machines and detergents are effective at washing clothes with cold water. 

  • Use an efficient shower head

    If your shower fills a 10 litre bucket in less than a minute, it's wasting water. Replacing your shower head for one that reduces the flow rate by 1 litre per minute could save a household of four around $80 per year. 

  • Fix dripping taps

    Dripping hot taps could cost you hundreds of dollars a year (depending on how bad the leak is). Replace the washer or fitting — a new washer only costs a few dollars. 

  • Fully load the dishwasher

    If you own a dishwasher, wait until it’s fully loaded to run it — and put it on ‘eco’ wash setting if available. If you rinse your dishes before loading the dishwater, use cold water. 

Heating your home efficiently  

Generally, heat pumps are the lowest cost and lowest emissions option for home heating, particularly for general living areas and areas which require frequent heating or cooling. Electric resistance heaters are good for smaller rooms, and some tweaks to how you use them can save you money. 

Heat and cool efficiently

Tips for heating your home

  • Heat the rooms you're using

    Focus your heating on the rooms you’re using, close doors to the others, and seal up sneaky draughts. It's a simple way to keep things cosy while saving up to $350 per year. 

  • Clean your heat pump filter

    Clean the filter in your heat pump once a month during the colder months to ensure it runs efficiently. Dust and debris buildup forces the system to work harder, increasing energy use. This could save you $50 a year.

  • Set your temperature

    For a healthy living environment, set your heater thermostat for between 18 to 21˚C. If you have older people or young babies at home, it might need to be a little higher.  

  • Only run heaters when you need to

    Leaving your heat pump running 24/7 will use more energy than only switching it on to heat the rooms in your home when required. 

Check if you qualify for an insulation and heating grant

You and your family deserve a warm, dry home. Warmer Kiwi Homes covers 50%-90% of the costs to purchase and install insulation and up to 90% off an efficient heater, to help you save money on your power bills while you enjoy a warmer, healthier home. 

Seal up draughts to keep the heat in 

Good draught proofing reduces the need for heating and cooling by keeping your home’s temperature more stable, and preventing heat from escaping through unwanted gaps. A few quick fixes can save you energy and money.  

Reduce draughts in your home 

Tips for draught proofing

  • Seal door and window gaps

    Seal up sneaky gaps with draught stoppers, door snakes, or weather stripping. If you have a classically draughty Kiwi house, this is one of the cheapest ways to stay warm and boost your savings on heating. 

  • Close curtains and blinds

    You can save up to 80-$90 a year by closing your curtains or blinds at sunset to retain heat and prevent warmth from escaping through windows.  

  • Check hard to reach places

    Gaps around wiring and plumbing are often hidden — so look behind kitchen and bathroom cabinets, and inside hot water cupboards and wardrobes. 

Use your appliances wisely 

Leaving the power on your appliances and home technology can use a surprising amount of power. When left on, even if in standby mode, these devices can collectively add up to $200 to your yearly power bill.  

Bills can be lowered by running your appliances more efficiently and shifting your energy use to off-peak times.  

Choose good appliances

Tips for reducing running costs

  • Switch off at the wall

    Switching off appliances you’re not using, like a second fridge, heated towel rails, small space heaters, or devices on standby, is an easy way to save energy.

  • Use smart technology

    Smart plugs and smart devices can help you save energy and make the most of cheaper off-peak power. They can also help you avoid wasting energy from appliances that aren't in use.  

  • Install a hot water thermostat

    Thermostats automatically turn your cylinder off or down when hot water isn’t needed, so your cylinder isn’t constantly working to keep your water heated when you don’t need it. 

  • Buy efficient appliances

    Check the energy rating label before you buy a new appliance. An appliance with more stars on the label is more energy efficient – and will cost you less to run – this could save you $140 a year* 

Energy rating labels

When it comes to maximising the savings on your new household tech, understanding Energy Rating Labels is a great place to start – they help you to compare the efficiency and running costs of similar appliances.  
  
The more stars, the more efficient the appliance is compared to a similar product of the same size.