We’re blessed with an abundance of warm sunny days here in Queensland, but just because the temperature is rising by the day as we enter summer, that doesn’t mean your household electricity bills need to. Rising prices are a fact of life, but we all have many reasons to tackle increasing energy costs and find ways to save electricity at home. This is important for the health of our household finances as well as the health of our local environment and the planet.
If you’re looking to build a new home in Southeast Queensland, chances are energy efficiency is just one of the many things on your list of priorities. Fortunately, modern homes are more energy efficient than the older homes. However, don’t overlook the many benefits of making energy efficiency a priority within your new home. From avoiding preventable problems by working with the right builders, to choosing high-quality insulation and energy-efficient appliances, there are many ways you can reduce energy costs at home. Here we share energy-saving tips that could help you save electricity in your new home – without blowing your home building budget or sacrificing your lifestyle.
Energy efficiency impacts most aspects of our lives at home, from heating and cooling to washing, storing food and keeping the lights on at night! The more energy efficient a home is, the less power is needed to, for example, keep it cool in summer and warm in winter. This not only helps households save electricity – with positive knock-on effects for grid electricity prices – it also helps them play a role in slowing the rate and impact of climate change. That’s good for all of us now and in the future, which is why it’s so vital to work with quality home builders who deliver energy-efficient homes.
Along with insisting on quality installation, appliances and lighting, and working with a quality home builder, there are many things that you can do to live in an energy-efficient house that maximises your lifestyle at home.
Maintain your appliances – When appliances function correctly, they use the least amount of energy necessary, which is important with major appliances like air conditioners and fridges. While you won’t have to worry about appliance maintenance upon moving into your new home, you do need to plan for it.
Check appliance settings – You can effectively reduce your energy consumption by making small changes to appliance settings, especially major appliances like fridges, dishwashers and washing machines. Try washing your clothes with cold water and turning down the cold setting in the fridge, you’ll find these little changes can add up to a big difference.
Turn it off at the wall – Many appliances still use electricity even when you’re not using them, so turn appliances like TVs and game consoles off at the wall when not in use. This is one of the most effective ways that we can all save energy at home.
Install an energy monitor – When you know exactly how much energy you use, you’re empowered to make changes to reduce your energy consumption. By providing energy data, energy monitors can help you to identify energy usage patterns and make changes accordingly.
Don’t forget the doors and windows! – As your new Hallmark home will be properly insulated, you’ll find that it’s cooler inside than outside if you keep the doors, windows and curtains closed. This is especially important if you’re using air conditioning as the cool air will escape, and use overhead fans to keep the air circulating around the room and reduce your A/C usage.
Shop around for the best plan – You can do all the right things, from choosing the right home design, builder and appliances to changing how you use energy at home, but if you’re not on the most competitive energy plan, your energy bills will always be too high. Shop around for the best plan and feel confident that you’re not paying more than you should.
Why should you work with a trusted home builder with strong experience and a proud history of value, stability and growth? Not only do you avoid preventable problems, but you also get peace of mind that you’re working with builders who bring innovative home designs to life with high-quality builds and efficient products from trusted suppliers.
As a trusted local home builder with over 40 years’ of experience, Hallmark Homes builds a variety of new homes for all kinds of homebuyers, from first-home buyers to downsizers and property investors. When you build with Hallmark Homes, you’re building with home builders who love what we do and are proud of our work, so you can be confident that when you build with us, we’re doing it for the right reasons. Explore our three home design ranges – Luma, Nest and Eden – and visit one of our display homes, like our new acreage display home at Kensington Grove, to get a feel for the build quality of a Hallmark Home.
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