Electrical Safety and Other Hot Tips
Click here to visit the QLD Electrical Safety webpage.
Click here for generator safety advice.
Have you experienced Bill Shock? Click here for energy saving tips.
There are a few things to check before assuming that your power bill is too high. Look at the following checklist. If you answer 'yes' to a few of the boxes, then it probably means you may be using more electricity than you realised. Smart meter data shows summer consumption in Weipa is substantially more than winter. This is due to additional air-conditioning and clothes drier usage to combat hotter ambient temperatures and rain days for longer periods.
- Have I forgotten to pay the previous bill?
- Have I had visitors for an extended period?
- Has there been a caravan in my backyard connected to mains power?
- Have I recently started using bigger appliances - dishwasher, freezer, larger washing machine, pool pump?
- Does my air-conditioner need a maintenance check?
- Have I been using an electric welder or other power tools during the past few months?
- Have I taken up a new leisure activity that uses electricity, such as rolling gemstones or using a pottery wheel and kiln?
- Do my hot water tap washers need to be replaced? A one second hot water drip amounts to ~20 litres/day that has to be re-heated.
- Do I relax in a hot bath more often than taking a quick shower?
- Do I use hot water in the washing machine?
- Is my AC temperature set less than 25 deg C?
- Do I leave more doors and windows open during the day than the neighbours, making the air-conditioner work harder?
