How to Reduce Your Home Appliance Running Costs in Australia
Home appliances account for approximately 25–30% of the average Australian household's electricity bill. With electricity prices in Sydney now around $0.33–$0.40 per kWh (and rising), optimising how you use your appliances can generate meaningful savings — often $200–$400 per year for the average household without replacing any appliances.
Fridge and Freezer Savings
The fridge runs 24/7, making it one of the highest-consuming appliances in the home.
- Temperature settings: Set your fridge to 3–5°C (not colder) and your freezer to -18°C. Every degree colder uses approximately 5% more energy.
- Door seals: Check seals annually. A damaged seal wastes significant energy. The paper test: close the door on a piece of paper — if it slides out easily, replace the seal.
- Coil cleaning: Dust on the condenser coils (back or underside of the fridge) forces the compressor to work harder. Clean annually with a vacuum cleaner.
- Location: Keep the fridge away from direct sunlight, ovens and dishwashers. A fridge beside a hot oven uses up to 30% more energy.
- Chest freezer fill: Keep your chest freezer at least 75% full. If mostly empty, fill space with ice or water containers to maintain thermal mass.
Washing Machine Savings
- Cold wash: Switching from hot (60°C) to cold water cycles saves approximately $50–80 per year on a typical household's washing. Modern cold-wash detergents clean just as effectively at 20–30°C.
- Full loads: Always wash a full load (but not overfull). A half load uses nearly as much energy as a full load.
- Off-peak electricity: If you're on a time-of-use tariff, use the delay-start function to run washing overnight (11pm–6am for most Sydney networks).
- Spin speed: Use the highest spin speed your fabrics allow. A higher spin speed extracts more water, reducing dryer time significantly.
Dishwasher Savings
- Eco programme: Use the Eco programme (usually 45–50°C) for everyday loads — it uses less water and energy than the standard programme despite taking longer.
- Full loads only: Run the dishwasher only when full. A dishwasher typically uses 12–20 litres per wash regardless of how full it is.
- Skip heated drying: Turn off the heated dry function and open the door at the end of the wash to air dry. Saves $20–40 per year.
Oven and Cooktop Savings
- Preheat only when needed: Most dishes don't require a preheated oven. Only preheat for baking.
- Induction cooktop: Switching from gas or ceramic to induction can save $100–$200 per year in cooking energy due to induction's 90%+ efficiency vs ceramic's 70% and gas's 40%.
- Microwave and air fryer: For small meals, a microwave or air fryer uses a fraction of the energy of a full oven.
Dryer Savings
- Highest spin speed first: Always spin at the highest possible speed before drying. Each extra minute of spin time removes water more cheaply than a minute of dryer time.
- Heat pump dryer: Heat pump dryers use 30–50% less energy than conventional vented or condenser dryers. The payback period on the premium is typically 3–5 years.
- Line drying: Free Sydney sunshine is the cheapest dryer available. Use the dryer only when line drying isn't practical.
When Replacing Makes Economic Sense
If your appliances are more than 10 years old, upgrading to current-generation high-efficiency models can produce annual savings that offset the purchase cost within 5–8 years, while also providing improved performance and reliability. Talk to our team for advice on which appliances offer the best energy payback in your situation.
Visit 2/14 Centre Place, Wetherill Park, call or WhatsApp 0422 489 492, or email support@oceaniaappliances.com.au. Open 7 days, 10am–8pm.