Sweating the small stuff: Half of Aussies go to extreme lengths to save on energy bill
Households are taking severe steps to save money on their power bills, according to new research by Finder.
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A Finder survey of 1,013 respondents found more than half of Aussies (53%) – equivalent to 11.1 million people – have gone to extreme lengths to save on their electricity bills.
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Almost 1 in 3 (29%) shivered through the cold to avoid the cost of their heater, while 1 in 4 (24%) didn't turn on the air conditioning even on a really hot day.
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Nearly 1 in 5 (17%) are monitoring their daily energy usage, while 15% only run their appliances during off-peak times.
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Mariam Gabaji, energy expert at Finder, said people are having to get creative to live on the cheap amidst the cost of living crisis.
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"Aussies are so stretched financially that they dread the prospect of a high electricity bill and are doing what they can to avoid that.
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"Many are having to shatter old habits to avoid bill shock."
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The average quarterly electricity bill in Australia as of October 2024 was $410 according to Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker – equivalent to $1,640 per year.
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Finder's research found 1 in 8 (12%) have flocked to air conditioned public places such as shopping centres to keep cool in the heat, while 6% went to the office to avoid using air conditioning/heating.
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Using a hairdryer instead of the dryer (5%), steaming clothes while in the shower (4%), using a neighbour's appliances (3%) and using an oven to dry clothes (3%) were all tactics Aussies use to bring down the cost of electricity.
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Gabaji said there are less extreme ways to save money on your bill.
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"Living mindfully including turning off appliances and lights when not in use, taking advantage of breezes and sunlight and choosing the most economical appliances is recommended.
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"Aircon units have to work harder if they're not functioning correctly – so a service before the peak of summer could save you money in the long run.
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"Try setting the air conditioner a few degrees higher in summer to shave money off your bills, also consider buying a powerful fan so you can alternate between using it and the air con."
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Finder analysis shows the average annual cost of running a clothes dryer twice a week comes out to $130, while running your washing machine 5 times a week averages out to $90 per year.
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Gabaji said government subsidies were a welcome relief for stretched households.
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"Use this bit of breathing room to shop around as some plans are a lot more competitive than others.
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"For instance, the difference between the cheapest and most expensive plans in the market is as much as $500-$700 depending on where you live."
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Finder crunched the numbers and found that Australians paid a collective $1.1 billion in loyalty tax for electricity in 2023.
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Have you gone to any of the following extreme lengths to save money on your electricity bill?
| Not using my heater even though it was really cold | 29% |
| Not using my aircon even though it was really hot | 24% |
| Monitoring my daily energy usage | 17% |
| Only running appliances during off-peak times | 15% |
| Went to shopping centres to avoid using aircon/heating | 12% |
| Went into the office more to avoid using aircon/heating | 6% |
| Having cold showers | 5% |
| Used my hairdryer to avoid using the dryer | 5% |
| Steamed my clothes while I'm in the shower | 4% |
| Used my neighbour's appliances | 3% |
| Used my oven to dry my clothes | 3% |
| None of the above | 47% |
| Source: Finder survey of 1,013 respondents, September 2024 |  |
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Methodology
- Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker is a monthly recurring nationally representative survey of more than 60,000 respondents.
- Figures in this release are based on 1,013 respondents from September 2024.
- The Consumer Sentiment Tracker is owned by Finder and operated by Qualtrics.
- The survey has been running monthly since May 2019.
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Sources
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