It’s a good idea to start thinking of ways to save on your electric bill and we’ve put together 7 ways for you to start saving if you’re using Citiq Prepaid meters.
Invest in a gas heater
Gas heaters are amazing at providing ample heat to warm up large spaces. These heaters provide instant heat, and unlike aircon heaters or wall heaters, you do not have to wait a long time to feel the warmth. If for some reason you are facing power outages due to load shedding, you are still able to warm up your home with your gas heater. We encourage you to exercise caution when using gas heaters, do not sleep with the heater on, leave it close to blankets or wooden furniture or let younger children near it.
Energy-saving light bulbs
The greatest thing you could do for your home is to swap out your old incandescent bulbs for Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) which use 75% less power! Not only should you make your home energy friendly but your garden as well. Many homeowners seldom realise that their outdoor lights are a significant contributing factor to their high electric bill, swap your existing light bulbs for energy-saving ones and watch your electric usage decrease.
Get creative in the kitchen
Winter is famous for warm stews and hearty meals – which often means longer cooking times. We love the Wonderbag and winter is the perfect time to use it. The Wonderbag is a non-electric, portable slow cooker that continues to cook food, which has been brought to a boil by conventional methods for up to 12 hours, without the additional use of electricity. For more information on how the Wonderbag works, take a look at their website.
Create your own Earth Hour
A great and simple way to cut back on electric costs is to introduce “earth night” once a week. Enjoy your family dinner by candlelight and instead of cuddling around the TV, why not play some board games and cards. Not only is this an energy-saving hack but it encourages family time with your children, who may also need time away from the TV and other devices.
Be aware of your usage
Using more electricity over the winter months seems inevitable, so it’s important to take note of how much you would usually spend on tokens each month by calculating your average spend. Winter appliances use a disproportionate amount of electricity to keep you warm – knowing what your typical usage is and what your increased consumption will be will help you make clever decisions about what to leave switched on.
Be aware of the Inclined Block Tariff
Find out if your meter is on an Inclined Block Tariff (IBT). These tariffs are set by the municipality and what they mean is that electricity becomes more expensive the more you use. If you are, then try to remain within your average consumption to avoid paying into higher tariffs blocks. Also, the best way to purchase electricity is once a month, only as much as you need, and only when you need it.
Buy with Us
You can also reduce the cost of tokens by buying directly through our website. You can find more details on how to buy via our website here.
We hope these energy-saving hacks make a difference to your consumption if you have any interesting and unexpected ways to save on electricity costs, share them with us on our Facebook Page.
