Energy Use Tips

Time-based Tips to Increase CE%

Tips to help you increase your use of Community Energy.

First of all, understanding when the available power is greenest, helps you make smarter choices about when to run high-energy appliances.

Slot 1: 0000–0300: High carbon supply time (Minimize usage)

Slot 2: 0300–0600: High carbon supply time (Minimize usage)

Slot 3: 0600–0900: Solar day begins

Slot 4: 0900–1200: Peak Solar Day (Ideal for heavy loads)

Slot 5: 1200–1500: Peak Solar Day (Ideal for heavy loads)

Slot 6: 1500–1800: Evening peak grid demand begins

Slot 7: 1800–2100: Evening peak / Community Battery Discharge

Slot 8: 2100–0000: High carbon supply time (Minimize usage)

Actionable Hints to Shift Your Load

1. Water Heating, Pool Pumps & EV Charging

  • Hot Water System (HWS): If possible, program your electric hot water system to heat during available solar windows (0900–1500). Consider a solar diverter to use excess rooftop energy dynamically.

  • Pool Cleaning & Heating: Adjust the times that your pool pump and heaters run to available solar windows (0900–1500).

  • Electric Vehicles: Always program your EV home charger to run during the peak solar day slots to directly soak up excess community solar.

2. Heating & Cooling Management

  • Pre-Cooling & Pre-Heating: Set your split system to reach your preferred temperature during the solar day while clean energy is abundant. This minimises the need to draw heavy grid power during the evening peak.

  • Dehumidify: For hot, humid nights consider getting a dehumidifier which helps natural sweating and uses a lot less electricity than a cooler.

  • Overnight Comfort: Avoid running Heating, Ventilation and Cooling (HVAC) systems all night. Zone your usage only to occupied rooms or switch to traditional low-energy alternatives like hot water bottles or electric blankets.

  • Natural Climate Control: On hot nights, vent your house by opening windows to release trapped hot air and moisture instead of relying entirely on mechanical air conditioning.

  • Thermal Heating: Consider getting a thermal storage heater to heat up during the day and discharge at night. The modern version of ‘heat banks’.

3. Kitchen & Household Appliances

  • Smart Washing & Drying: Use built-in timers or cheap smart timer plugs to schedule your washing machine and clothes dryer to run during the solar day times.

  • Clothes Dryer: Replace your clothes dryer with a heat pump dryer. These are 4x more efficient and produce no hot wet air.

  • Baking and Meal Shifting: If you work from home, prepare your main meals or do your baking during the day (1200–1600). If cooking dinner, try to shift your high-power kitchen prep to the community battery discharge window (1800–2100).

  • Appliance Upgrades: Transition away from gas by using efficient induction cooktops, note they will increase your electricity usage. As an interim, purchase a single unit induction cooktop.

4. Standby & Insulation Basics

  • Minimise Standby Power: Devices on passive or active standby can make up 3% to 10% of your power bill. Turn off unused electronics at the wall or use master/slave power boards.

  • Quick Insulation: Add temporary auxiliary glazing (like bubble wrap layers on window frames) to trap warmth or cold, cleanly without modifying structural elements.

  • Double Glazing Windows: Consider double glazing windows. A cheaper alternative to window replacement is getting perspex overlays installed on existing windows.

Some energy efficiency improvements work around the clock! Upgrading to thermal jacket-kettles that hold temperature or running highly efficient heat-pump systems that ensure continuous savings regardless of the hour.

References for Tips