Combat the cool in Autumn

As the seasons change, it’s time to change our habits too. We’ve put together some simple and affordable tips to help you keep your home warm.

Keeping Warm

Seasonal sheets for your bed

Winter sheets are the perfect solution for staying cosy during chilly nights. Switching to winter sheets makes all the difference as they are better insulated, heavier, and made from a warmer material, therefore keeping the heat in all night long.

Get a door cosy!

What is a door cosy you ask? A door cosy is a cushioned roll that lies along the bottom of your door to trap the heat in your room where it would usually escape from that little gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. If you don't have a door cosy on hand, never fear - a rolled up towel will do the trick!

Close your curtains early

We are now back to shorter days, which means our homes have less time in the sun. Closing your curtains as soon as the sun leaves the room is a good way to trap the heat in to help keep each room warm. Pair this trick with your door cosy to help!

Utilise a hot water bottle

Opt for a warm wheat sack or hot water bottle to keep in bed, take in the car, sit on the couch with, take wherever you can! Keeping warm with something like a wheat sack or hot bottle can sub out the need for a room heater or electric blankets, saving power where you can.

A GOOD pair of Uggs!

Layering up in general is a good first choice before turning to heating appliances - don't underestimate the power of keeping your feet warm first.

Keeping Costs Down

Wash clothes in cold water

A hot water wash can use up to 10 times more electricity than cold water. Don’t stress about the quality of the wash - modern detergents work just as well in cold water as they do in hot water for everyday washes.

Run appliances with full loads

Your cleaning appliances use roughly the same amount of electricity regardless of the size of the load. To get the best bang for your buck, wait until your dishwasher, washing machine and dryer are full before doing a load. For further efficiency, always use the ‘eco’ setting if available.

Air dry your laundry

Putting a normal load of washing through the dryer for 1 hour costs around $1, which can quickly add up over the month.

Set a timer for heated towel rails

Keeping a standard 80 watt heated towel rail running 24/7 can cost around 50 cents a day, or almost $15 a month (and even more if you have multiple bathrooms). Enjoy the toasty towels without the bill shock by setting a timer for your heated towel rail (or purchasing a compatible aftermarket timer if your towel rail doesn’t have one).

Switch off appliances at the wall

You might be surprised to learn that many of your appliances and devices still consume power in standby mode. In fact, New Zealanders collectively waste more than $100 million annually on standby power! Avoid contributing to this statistic by switching your appliances off at the wall when they’re not in use