Our ANZAC Day heater tradition

Thursday 25 April 2019

It has become something of a Canberra tradition to wait until after Anzac Day to turn on the heater, regardless of how cold it gets.

2018 energy consumption data collected by ActewAGL shows that Canberrans used about 25% more energy in May than in April, indicating this ‘tradition’ really has taken hold.

Space heating accounts for half a Canberra household’s annual energy consumption, so to help locals save while still keeping their home warm as the winter chill sets in, here are our top five heating hacks:

• Minimise the space you’re trying to heat – only heat the rooms you’re using and close doors to contain the heat. Instead of heating your whole bedroom, consider an electric blanket or hot water bottle.
• Efficient gas space heaters and reverse-cycle air conditioners are cheaper to run than standard electric heaters. Portable electric heaters might be cheap to buy, but can be costly to run.
• Reduce the temperate of your hot water storage tank to 60°C and save up to 10% on water heating. If you have an instantaneous hot water system, check that your thermostat is no higher than 50°C.
• Star ratings are updated every few years, so if you bought a five-star heater five years ago, it may no longer be regarded as energy efficient.