22 Apr 2024
The age-old Canberra tale of residents waiting until ANZAC day to turn on heaters is upon us again.
Canberrans are holding their breath, checking the temps, and FINALLY turning on their heaters… signalling the beginning of hot chocolate weekends, cosy movie nights in and getting ready for the winter season to come.
But, surely turning your heater on before April 25 isn’t a crime?
Haven’t we all been told that ‘real’ Canberrans brave the cold until the end of April? The iron-clad rule is almost as concrete as the Christmas tradition of not putting the tree up until the 1st of December.
Well, as your local energy distributor, we have the stats to back up whether this tale is a reality.
We’ve pulled together data on daily electricity and gas consumption for the month of April for the past six years and compared it to the daily average minimum and maximum temperatures.
Generally, there is an overlap between the drop in temperature and the increase in electricity consumption across the ANZAC Day long weekend.
While the trend is slight, it does become clearer and more prominent in the May and June months (once we hit 10° degrees and below).
As the temperature continues to drop, your heater will become the hardest working appliance in the home and the biggest contributor to your daily energy consumption, so keeping it set to 18 or 19 degrees helps reduce your use and your bills.
As the long weekend nears, take this as a timely reminder to check your heaters, dryers, and air conditioners for built up dust, debris and even insects.
If you haven’t already, we also recommend you get your appliances serviced by a qualified electrician or gas fitter – to ensure the safety of you and your loved ones.