With the help of data from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water and South Australia’s Department for Energy and Mining, we’ll show you which appliances contribute the most to your power bills and how you can save money.

1. Heating and cooling (40 per cent of your household energy use)

You guessed it – staying cool or warm costs the most. Leave the aircon alone when it’s not stinking hot and instead switch on a fan, which costs about two cents an hour. Or, as the girl in the taco ad says, “Porque no los dos?” (Why not both?). The fan will push the cool air around and you can set the aircon temperature higher to save money. If you’re using just the aircon, set the thermostat between 23C and 26C. Every degree lower in summer or higher in winter can increase your bill by about 15 per cent.

In winter (and this sounds obvious, but experience tells me it bears repeating), reach for some warm clothes instead of the heater switch. Swanning around in July in shorts and a t-shirt might stir pleasant memories of your tropical holiday in Bali, but a woolly jumper, trackies and Ugg boots are often perfectly adequate. If not, save money by keeping the heater between 18C and 20C.

2. Hot water (25 per cent)

Nothing beats a shower on a chilly morning but those extra minutes under the warm waterfall add up. To save on hot water costs, limit showers to four minutes. Try playing Pharrell Williams’ Happy while you shower. When the song ends it’s towel time, but the melody and lyrics might leave you feeling, well, happy.

Install low-flow shower heads in your bathrooms. They’ve improved so much that they rival today’s water guzzlers and switching from a flow rate of nine litres to 7.5 litres a minute can save more than 5000 litres of water per year. If you have an electric storage hot water service, keep the temperature no higher than 60C.

3. Electronics (14 per cent)

Think of the gadgets plugged in at home – TVs, gaming consoles, portable vacuum cleaners, computers, home office equipment and more. Depending on its Energy Rating, a 55-inch TV costs up to $200 per year to run and a PlayStation 5 (or Xbox) is no energy miser either.

When you’re glued to a binge-worthy TV series, or your work-from-home monitor is putting in a long day, your power bill is usually the furthest thing from your mind. But what about when you switch them off?

Most appliances don’t fully power down and instead go into standby mode, so they’re secretly using energy while you’re doing other things. You’ll often hear them called “vampire appliances”. To save up to $100 per year, make a habit of unplugging or turning these appliances off at the wall or power board.

4. Fridges and freezers (8 per cent)

It’d be silly to turn either of these off at the wall unless you like your ice cream super runny. Your fridge and freezer work 24/7, but you can reduce energy costs by ensuring they’re the right size for your needs and have a high energy rating. A flash, ice-making double-door fridge is nice, but if it’s just for two people and it’s rarely full, is it worthwhile? And do you need that old fridge working extra hard in a stifling hot shed to keep your drinks permanently cold?

Make sure your fridge and freezer are set at the right temperature to balance food safety and energy efficiency (about 3C for a fridge and -18C for a freezer). Place them in a cool area, clean the door seals and coils regularly and keep them full to maintain temperature and reduce running costs.

(Dis)honourable mentions

Kitchen and laundry appliances at five per cent and four per cent respectively can also add big dollars to your energy bill, but there are ways to fight back. When you’re cooking, use benchtop appliances like microwaves and air fryers which cost about half as much as an oven or cooktop. Only run your dishwasher when it’s full, use eco mode if available and run it during off-peak times when electricity is cheaper (or during the day if you have solar energy but no battery).

In the laundry, choose a cold wash for your clothes. Usually, the cleaning job is just as good, and it uses less power. Also, the sun and air are free so hang your clothes outside when you can instead of putting them in the dryer.

5. Putting off life admin

When’s the last time you had a look at your energy plan? A recent inquiry into the National Electricity Market by Australia’s consumer watchdog (the ACCC) found that almost 80 per cent of residential customers could be paying less for their energy.

What’s more, hundreds of customers who’ve stayed loyal to their retailer are now worse off.

If you’re looking for a fair and affordable deal on your electricity, think about exploring your options.