We all know that better energy habits can help cut costs when it comes to your monthly bills. But Australia’s energy market has changed – and so should our habits.

Growing up, our parents encouraged us to switch off the lights to save on home energy bills – or to wear an extra layer instead of switching on the heater during winter.

But today, energy efficiency is about more than simply reducing your usage. Energy savvy homes and businesses are also changing when they use electricity to save on their bills.

It’s a relatively new way to have more control over your bills, enabled by smarter, efficiency rewarding electricity plans. So, if you have a smart energy plan and you’re ready to start saving, we’ve got 5 household hacks that’ll help you power ahead.

1. Shift your energy usage to cheaper times during the day

Electricity is generally cheapest during daytime hours as rooftop solar panels on homes and businesses around Australia, send cheap, clean energy into the grid. This is typically the best time to run your dishwasher, washing machine, or charge your EV.

With a dynamically priced energy plan, such as Flow Home, the more you can shift your energy usage to these cheaper, greener times, the more you can control and potentially lower your bill.

2. Monitor market prices

Electricity prices tend to follow a similar pattern each day. Prices are typically at their lowest between 10am-3pm – thanks to cheap solar energy, like we mentioned earlier – and at their highest in the morning and evening peaks. Take a look at the graph below:

When the sun goes down, fossil-fuelled coal generation often takes over to keep up with the increase in demand. Coal is a costly, unreliable energy source, and the increased pressure on our shared electricity system drives prices even higher – just like surge pricing when you take an Uber.

That’s why it’s important to keep an eye on the market price, to make sure you’re avoiding those high price periods as much as you can.

To make it simple, we keep Flow Home customers across the latest from the market via the Flow Power app. It’ll tell you the cheapest times to use electricity and advise when it’s best to reduce or avoid usage for maximum savings on your monthly bill.

3. Automate your home with smart devices

Energy prices can change quickly but smart technology helps you stay in control of your electricity usage – even if you’re out and about.

Your appliances can be paired with devices like smart plugs and using an app, you can remotely manage that appliance. All Flow Home and business customers receive a smart plug, plus easy on/off controls via the Flow Power app.

If prices spike while you’re not home, you’ve got the power to switch off and save.

4. Optimise heating and cooling

Heating and cooling are among the highest household energy expenses – but there’s no need to sweat through another Aussie summer without A/C.

To use energy smarter, you can pre-cool or pre-heat your home when prices are low and reduce your use of heating or cooling when prices peak. Using more energy during low price periods on a smart plan like Flow Home can improve your monthly bill.

This method is most effective for well insulated homes. Check for drafts around windows, doors, and other openings – use weather stripping or caulking to seal leaks and improve insulation. This prevents hot or cold air from escaping, meaning you can effectively pre-cool or pre-heat for longer.

5. Consider energy storage for your home

Storing energy with a home battery can help significantly reduce your monthly bill, allowing you to charge your battery when electricity is cheapest and then store it ready to be used during peak periods when prices are high.

This means you can reduce your reliance on drawing energy from the grid when electricity is more expensive (and typically generated by carbon-intensive sources like coal or gas).