Change your money-draining habits and save on household bills

The pandemic has brought along many uncertainties. Now that we are staying home more than ever – no thanks to the recent surge in community cases – do you find your electricity bills escalating? Time to rack our brains on getting the best bang for our buck.

Here, we explore the different ways in which you can save money, including household tips on getting massive savings on your electricity bill. Many of the following money-saving tips could be mere adjustments to your daily habits. So have a go at them!

Air-conditioning – greatest invention or the most money-draining appliances

ever?

i. Did you know dirty filters are not only unhygienic it also affects the efficacy of your AC? Do service your air-con filters regularly.

ii. Or better yet, use the fan and save on your electricity bill.

iii. If hot nights are keeping you awake, set your AC to the optimal temperature of 25 degrees Celsius for an hour and use the fan while you sleep instead.

iv. Is your room still too warm? Utilise window coverings like blinds and curtains to lower the room temperature during the day, especially if your bedroom is west-facing.

Every drop counts

i. Many of us are guilty of bathing with heater-generated warm water despite our tropical weather. Did you know that cold showers are good for you? Benefits include increased mental alertness, improved blood circulation, faster muscle soreness recovery, and better skin.

ii. If you use the storage water heater, do remember to turn it off immediately after every use.

iii. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, shaving and soaping. Every bit counts. Gently remind your family members to put it into practice every day.

iv. When in the shower, get the job done as soon as you can and get out of the bathroom.

v. Dripping taps are a big no-no when it comes to saving money.

Nope, the fridge is not an aircon vent

i. Making decisions in front of an open fridge door as the electricity runs wild is not a very wise way to save money. Try this: Grab whatever you need and close the door.

ii. Ensure your fridge sealant is intact and working at optimal efficacy so cold air, and your money, doesn’t escape. Do check periodically.

Save the earth and reconsider your laundry habits

i. Run your laundry only on full loads. This way, you get to save water and also time hanging and keeping your laundry.

ii. Save the use of the dryer for rainy days. Air dry your laundry and let the glorious sun’s rays do their work!

iii. Do you have the habit of washing clothes you wore just for a short spell like a trip to the void deck or that pair of jeans that you wore for your grocery run or that lightly-worn cardigan you put on when on the bus? Consider if you need to wash every item you have worn, especially if you did not perspire in them.

Do you live to eat or eat to live?

Now that we are primarily home-bound (again), many of us are cooking more. Here are a few tips to saving a little bit more electricity (and money) with regards to food and cooking.

i. Make full use of residual heat to do the rest of the cooking by covering your food while cooking.

ii. If you are planning on getting new kitchen utensils, look to glass and ceramic pans that retain heat better than metal pans.

iii. Wish to save time and money, plus get healthier in the process? Look to meal prepping which involves buying and cooking in bulk. Now that we are primarily working from home, meal prepping helps you save on the dishes you wash, prepping time, electricity and, of course, money! Smart move indeed.

iv. Boil only the amount of water you need. Why let that hot water go back to room temperature if you don’t need that much in the first place?

v. Ditch the electric airport and use the more economical thermos flask instead.

vi. Be your own barista and save on your expensive trips to the coffee joints.

vii. Did you know that by fully stocking up your freezer, you are helping it retain its temperature? An empty freezer will fill up with warm air when the door is opened, and the freezer needs to work hard to cool down when the door shuts again.

viii. Placing hot dishes into the fridge means your fridge needs to work extra hard to cool down the item, plus the air around it. Make it a habit to cool any dishes to room temperature before placing them in the refrigerator.

Identify the energy vampires and reduce your electricity consumption

i. Use natural light as much as possible and turn off any unnecessary lights. Be very mindful of leaving lights on when there’s no one in the room.

ii. Relook all the light bulbs you are using and swap to energy-saving ones. Some LEDs last up to 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs and consume much lesser electricity in the long run. Save more energy and create the ideal room ambience by using a dimmer.

iii. Look to motion detection lights to counteract dark corners.

iv. Much has been said about this but many choose to ignore energy vampires. Are your electricity sockets’ power mode always switched on? Time to change this bad habit! Typical culprits include your monitor, TV, game console, microwave, coffee maker and phone charger.

v. Do you iron every single thing you own? Bedsheets, undergarments, and the T-shirt you wear to the supermarket or for your workouts do not need to look crispy to be comfortable. Anyway, who’s noticing? Better yet, make sure to look out for materials that require less attention with labels like wrinkle-free.

vi. Paint the walls of your home in a lighter shade. Dark colours absorb light – which means you utilise more energy to achieve the same level of brightness.

vii. Better yet, try something different. Have a detox day and switch off all appliances once a week. Round up your family for a game of board games, a music and sing-along session or head out for some vitamin D and exercise.

Do your Maths and make the switch to Geneco

Are you on the lookout for promotions and good deals? This May, Geneco is giving you the highest bill rebate in town of up to S$165, with their limited-time May-ssive Savings offers. Best of all, there’s absolutely no hidden charges or monthly administration fees.

Why subject yourself to fluctuating power rates? Here’s how you can be in control of your electricity bills:

1. Choose the Get It Fixed 24 plan – Most popular plan!

Enjoy a low rate of 19.58¢/kWh (including GST) for 24 months vs SP’s regulated tariff now stands at 24.13/kWh which fluctuates every 3 months. That’s savings of over S$452 for 24 months. On top of enjoying a fixed rate, use promotional code “GENECO80” to get S$80 bill rebate!

2. Have a friend who’s an existing Geneco customer?

Enjoy S$50 bill rebate with their referral code. Once you’re a Geneco customer, refer a friend and earn the highest referral rebate in town of S$50 for unlimited times.

3. Set recurring bill payment with selected credit cards and stack up to $35 bill rebate.

This is how you get to save up to S$165:

S$80 bill rebate + S$50 referral rebate + up to S$35 credit card promo = S$165 bill rebates!

4. Already a Geneco customer?

Earn the highest referral rebate in town of S$50! Best of all, there’s no cap to the number of times you get to enjoy the S$50 referral rebates. Earning some extra cash is not that difficult with Geneco. Refer your friends and family now!

These offers are valid till 31 May, so hurry and sign up today and make the switch to Geneco!

When it comes to saving money, you get to stretch your dollar only if you can get the full support of the entire household. So rally your family to put the above tips and tricks into practice. Those who are still staying with your parents will surely get nods of approval at how adulting has done wonders for you. Happy saving!

In partnership with Geneco.