A letter from the Power Police Re: Excessive Electricity Usage

 To whom it may concern,

RE: EXCESSIVE ELECTRICITY USAGE

You are receiving this letter from the Power Police, passionate protectors of palatable power prices, because we have reason to believe that you could be saving huge amounts of money on your electricity bill if it weren’t for certain members of your household.

These people shall remain nameless. For Now.

We are not at liberty to say exactly how we got this information; suffice to say that somebody very close to you is concerned about your electricity consumption and reached out to us, the Power Police, for assistance.

Our source informs us that many electricity use transgressions have taken place inside your home. We suspect that this is a case of negligence rather than malicious intent. Nevertheless, as champions of justice and defenders of low electricity prices, it is our responsibility to intervene in such matters.

We hereby request that you cease and desist the following activities:

1. Taking 20 minute showers

Reports suggest that people in your house enjoy taking lengthy showers. Whether you’re singing soapy ballads to yourself or thinking up clever retorts for imaginary arguments is none of our business. What we do know is that it’s affecting your energy consumption.

Hot water accounts for about 30 percent of your electricity bill, according to the good folk over at Energywise - and the bulk of that is used in the shower and the bath. A 15 minute shower costs about $1, meaning that a family of four could save about $18 every week by moving to 5 minute showers. That’s a whopping $900 a year!

2. Leaving appliances on standby

We also have evidence that indicates you tend to leave your appliances on standby for months on end. For some devices, this is perfectly fine. For instance, despite what your dad says, leaving a 40” television on standby will only run you a few cents in electricity per year, according to figures from Consumer NZ, while leaving a washing machine on standby costs about $8.20 per annum.

But not all your gadgets are so efficient. At the high end of the spectrum, leaving a multi-function printer on standby could cost you about $128 in electricity per year! The easy solution here is to plug the biggest offenders into a powerboard with individual switches so you can power them all down at once if needed.

3. Unnecessarily blasting the heat pump

Heating accounts for about 30 percent of your power bill. Costing just 5-10 cents/kWh, a heat pump is one of the most efficient methods of controlling the temperature of your home - but only when used wisely. As noted by Smarter Homes, many people who install heat pumps end up keeping their homes significantly warmer than they would otherwise, meaning their power bill works out to be roughly the same as it was in the first place!

It might be tempting to dance around the living room wearing nothing but your speedos in the middle of winter with your heat pumps on full blast, but for the sake of your power bill (and your neighbours) try to resist the urge. Dress according to the season and use your heating appliances sparingly to provide an extra layer of comfort without breaking the bank when it comes time to pay the bills.

4. Neglecting the Power of Mother Nature

Mother Nature is a powerful source of light, heat and cooling, but our source tells us that you prefer to rely on electrical solutions. For example, we’re aware that you love using your clothes dryer, even when it’s perfectly sunny outside. Yes, we know the clothesline is all the way over there and your backyard is a little overgrown, but did you know that every load in the dryer costs about $1? Depending on the size of your household, using a clothesline instead of the dryer could easily save you over $100 per year.

You can further embrace the power of Mother Nature by using natural ventilation and shading to regulate the temperature of your home in winter and summer instead of relying on heaters and air con systems.

5. Being inefficient in the kitchen

You might be surprised to learn that your cooking appliances vary wildly in terms of energy efficiency, so being able to choose the right one for the job can help you save quite a few bucks on your power bill.

Your trusty microwave is by far the most energy efficient appliance in the kitchen due to the way it uses radiation rather than an element to heat your food. Okay, so you’re probably not going to use it to whip up a Sunday roast (at least, we hope you’re not), but a microwave can be used to cook veges, baked beans, pasta, noodles and a slew of other basic goodies with delicious (and energy saving) results. A crockpot is also a fantastic way to cook scrumptious set and forget meals while using a fraction of the energy of cooking on a conventional stove top.

The Power Police thanks you in advance for your cooperation. With just some small changes, it’s possible to keep power consumption low and reign in your power bill.

Yours faithfully,

The Power Police

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