b'hard truthtop tipsTurn appliances off atthe wall where practical.Turn off your heated towel rail overnight.Switch to the newgeneration energy-efcient light bulbs.Consider a low-owshowerhead.Make sure your hot water cylinder is set at 55C.Switch to cold-wash cycles for your clotheswashing.power to the peopleAs winter approaches, were faced with that seasonal dilemma:how to effectively save power, and therefore money.Youve just enjoyed another warm and lovely your heater and that bill has doubled in size,will be taken on a tour of an average house, summer, so the arrival of your power bill is or even trebled by mid-winter. While most of room by room, with all the appliances likely hardlygoingtomakeyoubataneyelid. this energy usage is necessary, it is possibleto be found in each room, letting you indicate Even without opening it you know that with totrimyourwinterenergybillwithouthow frequent your usage is. From there, the no heating used, lights hardly switched on, compromising on warmth and comfort. running cost of each item is calculated and washing hung out to dry on the line and theadvice given on how to make savings. barbecue frequently used for cooking, the So where to start? Well before you rush toCompare,forinstance,thedifferencein turnofftheheater,itcanbeworthwhileprice if everybody in your house has a ve-bill will be satisfyingly low. taking time to assess exactly how much each minute shower a day as opposed to a couple However, in two months time it can be quite appliance in your house is currently costing of longer ones, or a bath. Is your washing a different story. The weather only has to turn you to run. Happily this is very easy to domachinealwaysstuckonthe40Cwash a bit wet, then the clocks go back and, hey, and, dare it be said, even fun. Just log on to cycle? See the money you can save just by its on with the lights, chuck the clothes in the Governments website www.energywise. changing to a 30C washits a surprising the dryer, switch on the dehumidier, plug in org.nz and take a home energy audit. You20 cents each wash. 60'