$250 ENERGEX GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE NOW!

Right now when you connect your Gold Coast pool to off peak tariff 33 Energex will give you a $250 EFTPOS gift card! There has never been a better time to connect your pool to off peak power!

Find out more information about the Energex $250 off peak pool connection incentive

Off Peak Tariff 33 for your pool on the Gold Coast

One way to reduce this pool running cost is by connecting your pool to off peak power, an Energex power tariff known as tariff 33. By having a licensed electrical contractor such as Gold Coast Solar Power Solutions carry out this work for you can expect to save around $300 a year on your power bills, and potentially even more if you have solar panels installed on your roof.

Extra off peak pool benefits with solar power?

I mentioned earlier that with your pool on off peak tariff 33 you can expect an annual saving on your power bill of around $300 per year, but if you have solar power panels the amount of power saved each year can be quite a lot more than this. This is due to the fact that pool pumps are usually running during the day when your solar power system is also running. On the Gold Coast and in all of Queensland you are paid a higher rate for any surplus solar power that you produce; if you are running a pool pump on a normal peak tariff during the day this will mean that your solar power system has to produce enough power to cover your home usage including the pool pump before any solar power goes back to the grid as surplus; if your pool pump is on off peak tariff 33 this usage is not classed as power that you are using before solar power goes back in surplus, so if your pool pump is on off peak tariff 33 you will suddenly have a whole heap more solar power as surplus to feed back to the power grid, saving you more money!

How does a pool connected to Off Peak Tariff 33 save you money?

If you are on the Gold Coast having your pool connected to off peak tariff 33 will save you money by the fact that you are only paying for pool power in an “off peak” time, this means that in peak power times, which on the Gold Coast is between 5pm to 9pm, you will not have any power available to run your pool. This can be a disadvantage if you like to run a water feature or the like, but the annual savings on your power bill can tend to outweigh this disadvantage.

$250 ENERGEX GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE NOW!

Right now when you connect your Gold Coast pool to off peak tariff 33 Energex will give you a $250 EFTPOS gift card! There has never been a better time to connect your pool to off peak power!

Find out more information about the Energex $250 off peak pool connection incentive

If you are happy being without power to an appliance through this time to benefit from a 30% saving, then this off peak tariff can also be used to power air conditioners, dishwashers, water bed heaters, driers and hot water systems. This also has a great side benefit as the owner of a solar power system; any load that is connected to the off peak tariff will not be taken as power that you are using before you sell power back to the grid – effectively giving you the opportunity to sell more solar power back as surplus, this effectively equals savings on your power bill!

Feel free to contact us at Gold Coast Solar Power Solutions and we would be happy to recommend some quality providers of solar hot water to complement your solar power system.

2. Ensure your dryer isn’t overloaded. Air needs to circulate easily between the clothes in order for drying to be most effective.

3. Open a window when using the dryer. A closed up laundry gets very humid and that humid air just gets sucked into the dryer; decreasing its effectiveness.

4. Heavier items should be dried separately to light weight clothes.

5. Many modern clothes dryers have a cool-down cycle which allows the clothes to complete drying with the remaining heat in the dryer

6. Ensure you use the fastest spin cycle possible in your washing machine – the wetter the clothes, the longer they’ll take to dry.

7. If your dryer is used a great deal, try and co-ordinate the timing so that loads quickly follow each other to take advantage of residual heat.

8. If you have a solar power system connected to a net feed in tariff as we have here on the Gold Coast it will be of extra benefit to you if you try and use your clothes drier outside the hours of 9am to 3pm. This is due to the fact that clothes driers consume a lot of power; if you do run it during the peak daylight hours of 9am to 3pm you will be losing surplus solar power that you could be selling back to the power grid at a higher rate.

• Check your ceiling and walls have insulation – install or repair as required.

• Seal around door jambs and windows to reduce air leaks and draughts

• Incorporate passive solar design in your home. Capture the energy from the winter sun and avoid capturing the suns energy in summer.  Use cross-flow ventilation on summer nights to let trapped hot air out.

• Can you use a fan instead of the air conditioner? Fans are far more economical.

• If using the air conditioner for cooling, set the thermostat for 25 degrees or higher. Every degree higher will save you up to another 10% in cooling costs

• When heating set the thermostat to 20 degrees or lower, every degree lower can save another 5-10% in heating costs

• Wear clothing that is most appropriate for temperature

By implementing these tips you will be on the path to seeing your power bill go down rather than up!

• Buy energy star appliances such as washing machines, dish washers, ovens, fridges etc. The more stars the more efficient.

• Wait till a full load is to be put on before using appliances such as washing machines and dish washers.

• Use the clothes line to dry clothes whenever possible. Avoid using the drier when possible.

• Remove phantom loads, or standby power use by appliances. Things like televisions, computers, stereos, microwaves and fax machines all use energy when they are not operating, you can remove this drain on your power by simply switching them off at the wall. The Australian Greenhouse Office says you can save 10% on your power consumption by this alone!

• Install a solar hot water system

• Install AAA rated shower heads to lower the amount of water you use, and the hot water that needs heating.

• Lower the thermostat on your hot water system to around 50 degrees to optimise efficiency.

• Spend less time in the shower.

• Use cold water to wash your clothes.

• Insulate the hot water pipes throughout your home.

• Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluros, they use 70% less energy without sacrificing any light, or even better, LED’s! LED technology has really advanced and is now a viable alternative that is over twice as efficient as compact fluros.

• Use lighter wall colours to reflect existing light.

• Install skylights in dark areas of the home.

• Use daylight wherever possible.

• Make sure lights are positioned to maximise efficiency

Fridges & Freezers are responsible for approximately 8% of energy usage for a regular household. To become more energy efficient:

• Replace old, inefficient fridges & freezers with new, efficient units.

• Make sure you don’t buy larger than you actually need.

• Keep your fridge clean and defrost regulary.

• Work out what you want from the fridge before opening the door. Don’t leave the door open for longer than necessary.

• Locate your fridge in the coolest area of the house. Make sure the back of the fridge is well ventilated.

• Have only one fridge and one freezer or combo if possible.