We're now four days into the new carbon tax and while you might not have noticed any considerable changes to your lives just yet, this may not be the case for long.
With energy bills expected to rise for people throughout Australia, the need to become more energy efficient has never been so important.
The Victorian government has been all too keen to point this out and has offered some tips on how to keep your bills to a minimum.
It recommends making the most of solar power rebates and other government incentives designed to lower the cost of becoming energy efficient – after all, the cash is there to be taken!
Minister for environment and climate change Ryan Smith noted that simple measures can also mount up and have a big effect on your bills.
"Nearly 55 per cent of the household energy consumption is for heating and by making a few simple adjustments, you will notice a big difference in your energy bills," he commented.
Did you know that by lowering your thermostat by just one degree C, you could reduce your heating bill by as much as ten per cent?
You can always layer up with more clothing if you are feeling a little on the cool side, just think, by wearing an extra jumper you are saving yourself quite a few dollars.
It is also worth limiting the use of heating and closing off doors to unoccupied rooms – there's no point in paying to heat parts of the house you're not using!
You may find that switching appliances off at the wall has a positive impact on your bills over time, as estimates suggest that the cost of keeping electrical items on standby is $100 a year.
Reducing the impact of the carbon tax can be easy – just make sure you implement the changes as soon as possible!
Posted by Bob Dawson