How to Stay Energy Efficient this Holiday Season

Powering a cleaner tomorrow is a big part of Redback Technologies and we don’t think this should be put on pause over the festive season. There are plenty of ways that families can enjoy time the festive period, yet also stay energy efficient.

We’ve put together 6 ways that you can reduce your power usage during the holidays, leading you to not only buy less power from the grid, but save money and the planet.

Multi-coloured flashing fairy lights are a staple of Australian homes during the silly season. Whether they’re on your tree inside, or outside on your roof, it’s still possible to decorate for the holidays without spending a fortune on your energy bill. By choosing energy efficient options such as LED globes or fibre optics, you can make sure your house is fantastically festive, without wasting electricity.

To save money on your electricity bill, you could choose more traditional decorations that don’t require power to run, such as garlands, ribbons and wreaths. Not only could you make them yourself with your family and friends, you could also choose to make them more environmentally friendly by using recycled materials.

You’re more likely to find barbies, thongs and seafood this holiday season, rather than quintessential log fires and long, dark nights. Our bright, warm summers mean that having festive lights on during the day is a waste, as no one can see them!

Invest in a timer that allows lights and decorations to only come on when it gets dark out – that way you can set it and forget it, ensuring energy efficiency even if you’re not home. Also, don’t forget to turn the lights off when you head to bed.

The summer heat, coupled with visitors ultimately leads to most families turning on the air-con, but don’t instinctively set the thermostat to a frosty 17 degrees. The most comfortable and energy efficient temperate to set it to between 22 and 25 degrees Celsius, saving much more electricity in the process. Also, make sure that doors and windows are closed when the AC is on, so you’re not losing any of that beautifully chilled air.

The temperature of your oven drops by as much as 25% every time you open the door. Not only does this add to your cooking time but increases your energy consumption as your oven needs to get back to the required temperature. Looking through the oven door is a much more energy efficient way to check if your banquet is ready!

Australia’s festive season is in the height of summer, perfect for lounging by the pool and snacking on fresh seafood. This also means that we average over 9 hours of sun a day. Installing a rooftop solar system or adding battery storage to an existing system can help your household save money by converting this abundance of sunshine into electricity.

By using the solar electricity that you generate, you can avoid buying energy from your retailer. Additionally, solar hot water systems can also help you avoid gas charges often associated with a gas-fired water heater.