How can I save money on my house expenses?

Keep your air conditioning unit out of direct sunlight - this alone will save you around five per cent of your cooling costs. Planting leafy deciduous trees on the sunny side of your house will help keep your house cool in the summer and also insulate the heat in the winter.

Waterworks

Those dripping faucents and pipes are not just annoying to listen to all day - they are also costing you money! Take the time to fix leaking pipes and faucets. Only run taps for as long as you need to. When brushing your teeth, fill up a small cup with water instead of leaving the tap open while you brush away. When washing dishes, fill up the sink with water first.

When showering, run the water before lathering up and for rinsing only. You do not need to have water constantly running while your scrubbing the dirt away from your body. On a side note, most municipal grey water, such as the water that comes from your shower, is treated with more chlorine than your ordinary tap water. Your skin can absorb as much as eight litres of water during the course of a 10 minute shower, thus making for an unpleasant dose of chlorinated water for your body.

Clothes washing

As we learned previously, heating and cooling are the biggest energy drawers and your clothes washer and dryer are no exception. Nearly 90 per cent of laundry costs come from heating water for cleaning and air for drying. Washing and rinsing your laundry in cold water, rather than hot, can save approximately $80 per year. Hanging clothes instead of dumping them in the dryer saves you energy and also leaves your clothes usually smelling fresher. Air drying your clothes also makes them last longer as they are not subjected to the high temperatures and churning of a dryer - which can cause the fibers of the cloth to be damaged and fray.