Manage your power usage

Do you have a solar system installed but still aren’t saving money on your power bill? We’ve compiled a list of ways you can manage your electricity usage more effectively to hopefully make you some money. 

Turn your lights off at night time
Turning off unnecessary lights will actually cut down your power usage especially at night time. This theory doesn’t just apply to lights, any household appliance that is using grid energy should be turned off (at the switch) if you aren’t using it. 

Changing to LED lights
Changing your lights bulbs from fluorescents, incandescents and halogen to LEDs will save you some money on your power bill. LED lights use significantly less power than the others, they’ll also last you longer and only need to be changed once in a blue moon.

Do your washing during the day
The day time is when your solar panels are making power and typically making more than what you need turning the day. So doing your washing when you aren’t paying for grid power is a no brainer. Most new clothes and dishwashing machines now have a feature where you can schedule what time these machines turn on, so that way you can time it to start even if you aren’t home. 

Use one appliance at a time
If you have both your washer and dryer running at once it will require way more power and it might be too much for your system to cover, which may result in you paying for grid energy during the day. To avoid this, schedule one machine after the other.  

Hustle your energy provider
Every year your energy providers change your find in tariff rate. To avoid this, talk to your energy provider and try to get the best deal possible from them, if you ring them up and bargain with them then you’re in with a good chance of getting a better deal. *If you sign with another company, you are guaranteed to get a call from your current provider with a better offer.

Track your home’s energy usage
Download an energy tracking app. We recommend the SMA Sunny Portal app as it links up with your inverter and will tell you not only how much energy you’re using but also how much your panels are generating. Being able to constantly track your electricity usage will help you make smarter choices when it comes to using your energy. 

Peak energy hours
In South Australia, the peak power hours are between the hours of:

• 6am to 10 am
• 3pm to 10pm
  

These are the times in which your household will use the most power. Typically because people home during these hours using power. 

Off peak hours are from 1am to 6am because, generally, everyone is asleep during these times.