Addicted to comfort

Frugal tip 15 is another of those tips which don't look like frugal tips at all and can be taken as a bit esoterical. My tip is to lose your addiction to comfort and learn about your power consumption.
See? A bit airy fairy yeah? Read on.

According to an article I recently read on news.com.au:

AUSTRALIANS pay 130 per cent more for electricity than Canadians, according to new research - a power premium to rise to 250 per cent once the carbon tax and locked-in price increases take effect. 

Electricty is something not to waste yet we use it often without thinking. Because we just flick a switch, turn up a thermostat or access a item we don't think about the electricty we consume or how much it is costing us to use. And that cost is to rise.  

By over 250 % once the carbon tax takes affect! Got your attention now?

How may of us compare the meter readings on our electricity accounts to our actual meters? How many of us even know how to check our electricity meters?? Look around you now. How many items in your house are currently accessing electricity? I have two lamps, the TV, fridge, laptop, heater. That doesn't include my son's night light, the washing machine, water heater outdoor light all going on in other areas that I cannot see. And how much electricity am I using? I have no idea. But I am going to find out. It's important to understand consumption and how I am paying for it.

Some great websites that explain this really easily are:

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/monitor-electricity-save.htm
http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/

I haven't quite got the hang of it yet - but I will. I'll come back to it in a month and tell you how I am going.

The gist of it is this. Are you addicted to comfort? Do you need constant light, heat (cooling), entertainment? How much is your comfort costing you? Now I am not saying to turn off the heat completely, chuck out the telly and live by candlelight but I am saying - be aware of how much you are using and how much you may be able to cut down. For example, if my family and I are watching TV, I make sure all other entertainment is switched off (computers, stereos etc). I often turn off the light too, unless we need them. When I cook in my oven, I always plan ahead so that have a few dishes to cook at the same time therefore not wasting heat. And when I turn on the heat, I keep the thermostat at 20 degrees or lower. Usually lower. My husband and I have found this to be enough to keep the chill off of the air and if we feel cold we put on an extra layer of clothing or rug up with blankets. And if it's still cold - we go to bed. With hot water bottles. And each other.

There are so many ways to save on electricity. Wash clothes only when your machine is full. Air dry clothes on a rack or on a line, not in a clothes dryer. Don't keep your house lit up like Luna Park. It's common sense yet so many of us don't know what we are doing.

Give it a try - understand your energy consumption and give up a bit of comfort. It will be worth it in the end.