Make friends with your energy bill

If you have some less than perfect energy habits, then you’ve felt the shiver up your spine that comes with a hefty power bill.

You’re not alone, new research commissioned by ING Australia shows 97% of Aussies admit to having some poor energy (and saving) habits.

If you think that’s a high number, wait till you learn they’re costing the nation $15.1 billion a year! That’s more dollars than there are stars in the Milky Way. These poor energy habits are costing each Aussie adult an estimated $756 per year¹.

Matt Bowen from ING says:

“It’s really encouraging that nine in ten (93%) Aussies are actively looking for ways to cut back on their energy bills, and over half (55%) are looking for ways to cut back a lot.”

And there’s good reason, you could be saving an estimated $648.15 each year. That’s a decent weekend away, right there.

So, what are the biggest, baddest energy habits Aussies have fessed up to taking part in? In a typical week, 81% of Aussies say they leave electronics on at the switch, and 62% leave the TV/laptop on standby overnight, costing an estimated $20.31 and $28.69 respectively, per person, each year.

The most costly, energy-poor habits are:

• Using the dryer to dry clothes on a sunny day, costing an average $231.37 per person, per year²
• Washing up under hot running water rather than filling the sink, costing an average $145.41 per person, each year
• Boiling more water than needed, costing an average $127.87 per person, each year
• Having a shower for longer than 10 minutes costing an average $110.73 per person, each year
• Using the defrost setting on the microwave, costing $32.77 per person, each year

If that data looks like your life story, here are Matt’s top three tips for those looking to cut back on energy costs:

1. Do an energy assessment of your space. Grab your partner or housemate and assess what you could be doing differently to save on energy costs.
2. If in doubt, switch it off. Make turning off your lights and electronics part of your routine.
3. Open an ING Orange Everyday account. Eligible Orange Everyday customers will receive 1% cashback on all eligible gas, water, and electricity bills (T&Cs apply).

If you’re hungry for more, here are the top 5 most creative ways Aussies are using or would use to reduce their energy bills:

• 30% are using an air fryer rather than an oven
• 17% are showering or bathing with their partner
• 16% are letting pets sleep in their bed with them
• 15% are having candle lit dinners rather than using lights
• 8% are steaming their clothes in the bathroom while taking a shower, rather than using an iron

Additional research findings include:

• Work benefits: Almost 2 million Aussie workers (15%) say their favourite way of saving money is working from the office rather than at home to use office electricity.
• Relationship bug-bear: almost one in five (18%) Aussies agree that wasting energy is a big turn-off in romantic partners, and one in 10 (11%) would move out if a housemate had poor energy habits.
• It’s a generational thing: Millennials (98%) are the most likely generation to say they are looking to cut back their energy usage (93% Gen Z, 90% Gen X and 88% Baby Boomers).
• Undiscovered saving hacks: Three quarters (75%) of the nation didn’t realise a slow cooker can be more energy efficient than an oven.

So, there it is folks. You might have to expend a little more mental energy while you’re creating those new habits, but you’ll thank yourself for it when you get that new bill. Celebration suggestion: an air-fried meal by candlelight.

Make you money go further. Find out more about our 1% cashback on eligible utility bills with an Orange Everyday account.

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