It’s me again – the crazy renter who has installed solar, batteries, and a heat pump on a home I don’t own. While I could write all day about the benefits of doing what I’ve done, this blog is for the 99% of renters who want to save money with little to no investment. In Australia, the average tenancy lasts just 2 years. Generally, you will not see a return on investment for solar, batteries, heat pumps, or any of the other major home electrification steps in that time. Renters are looking for two things: low investment and high returns. Never fear, I’m here to help!

To begin, let’s go back to basics.

Where is all your energy actually going?

Before we can provide solutions, we first need to know what the problem is.

The home you rent consumes 2 or 3 utilities: water, electricity, and/or gas.

In almost all cases, you have absolutely no say in the utilities you’re connected to. This means you can only control how and when you use them. For the sake of this blog, we will not discuss water; instead, we’ll focus on the two biggest impacts on your budget: electricity and gas. I’ll also be providing information on a home that has both of these utilities. If you do not have gas, you’re already better off than homes that do (and I’m secretly jealous of you). My example will also be for a rental that does not have solar.

Your home probably looks like this:

• General power: Electricity
• Heating: Electricity or gas
• Cooling: Electricity
• Hot water: Electricity or gas
• Cooking: Electricity or gas
• Pool/spa: Electricity
• EV charging: Electricity

Now here is the ‘exciting’ part. We need to do an audit of exactly how much each of these is consuming daily. Keep in mind: heating, cooling, and your pool or spa (if you have them) may have seasonal variations.

How to audit your home’s energy use 

You don’t need to become an electrician or build a spreadsheet worthy of NASA. Start by identifying your biggest energy users.

The aim is to understand three things: what uses energy, how much it uses, and what it costs.

Start with your bills

Grab your latest electricity and gas bills. Ideally, look at a full year to capture seasonal changes.

For electricity, check:

• Your average daily consumption in kilowatt-hours, or kWh.
• Your usage rates, including peak, shoulder, and off-peak rates, where applicable.
• Your daily supply charge.
• Whether you have a flat-rate, time-of-use, or demand tariff.

For gas, check your consumption in megajoules, or MJ, your usage rates, and your daily supply charge.

Supply charges apply regardless of how much energy you use. Reducing consumption won’t remove them, but comparing plans might lower them.

If your retailer provides an app or online dashboard, check your electricity usage throughout the day. Those evening spikes might reveal when cooking, heating, and other activities overlap.

However, your smart meter usually shows total household consumption. It doesn’t automatically identify what each appliance uses.

Measure what you can

A plug-in energy monitor can measure electricity used by suitable appliances plugged into a standard power point.

These can help you investigate your fridge, television, computer, or other compatible appliances. Check the monitor’s maximum load before using it.

Measure fridges over several days because their compressors switch on and off. A brief reading won’t represent their daily consumption.

Hardwired systems, including many air conditioners and hot water systems, need a different approach. Use manufacturer information, existing monitoring, or professional assistance.

You don’t need an exact reading for everything. A useful estimate is enough to identify where to start.

Calculate the running cost

For an appliance drawing a steady amount of power, use this calculation:

Watts ÷ 1,000 × hours used = electricity consumed in kWh

Then:

Electricity consumed × your electricity rate = running cost

For example, a 2,000 W portable heater running continuously for three hours uses 6 kWh.

At an example electricity rate of 30 cents per kWh, that costs $1.80.

Repeat that every day for 30 days, and you’re looking at $54.

Actual consumption varies when appliances cycle, change settings, or adjust their output. Also, use electrical input power, rather than heating or cooling capacity.

Gas calculations use MJ instead of kWh. Match the appliance’s gas input figure with the units and rates on your bill.

Don’t use a gas heater’s heat output rating as its fuel consumption.

Once you’ve identified the expensive habits and systems, you can tackle them without renovating someone else’s house.

1. Draught-proof your home

There’s little point paying to heat your lounge room if that warmth promptly escapes under the front door. Australian homes are notorious for poor insulation. My home was built in 2019, and it is just as leaky as my last home that was built in the 70s.

Draught-proofing helps your home hold its temperature, reducing the work your heating and cooling systems need to do.

Start with simple, removable options:

• Place door snakes along external doors
• Use suitable removable weather seals around draughty doors and windows
• Close curtains or blinds when they help keep heat in or out
• Close doors to rooms you aren’t heating or cooling

On hot days, close blinds before direct sunlight heats the room. On cold days, welcome useful sunshine, then close curtains as temperatures fall.

Check with your property manager before attaching products that could damage paintwork or alter fixtures.

Never block ventilation required for gas appliances. Keep necessary ventilation open, and address condensation rather than sealing every opening indiscriminately. I have moisture absorbers in each of the main living areas and bedrooms. 

Start with the draughtiest room rather than buying supplies for the entire house. You might find a door snake earns its keep surprisingly quickly.

2. Shift electricity use into cheaper hours

This tip can reduce your bill without reducing how much electricity you use. However, there’s a catch: you need a plan that charges different prices at different times.

On a flat-rate plan, running the dishwasher at midnight generally costs the same as running it at midday. With time-of-use pricing, moving suitable activities into cheaper periods can reduce their cost. Check your actual plan because the hours vary.

Good candidates include:

• Running your dishwasher
• Washing clothes
• Charging an EV
• Charging compatible portable batteries
• Operating pool equipment within its required maintenance schedule

Use built-in timers or delay-start functions where suitable. Follow manufacturer instructions, particularly for appliances that produce heat.

Let’s say an activity uses 2 kWh. At 45 cents per kWh, it costs 90 cents.

At 20 cents per kWh, the same activity costs 40 cents.

That’s a saving of 50 cents each time, without changing the activity itself.

Free electricity windows can offer another opportunity. However, compare the entire plan before getting distracted by the word “free”. Higher rates outside that window, supply charges, and eligibility conditions can outweigh the benefit.

If your plan includes demand charges, running several high-powered appliances together may also affect your bill. Check how your retailer calculates them.

Finally, shifting electricity use won’t make your gas appliances cheaper to run. Their costs follow your gas tariff.

3. Choose a cheaper way to get the same job done

You don’t always need a new appliance. Sometimes, you just need to reach for a different one.

A pedestal fan is a great example. When conditions allow, it can keep you comfortable using much less electricity than air conditioning. Fans cool people by moving air across their skin. They don’t lower the room’s temperature, so switch them off in empty rooms.

When a fan isn’t enough, use your air conditioner. Saving money shouldn’t mean enduring unsafe heat.

Other practical swaps include:

• Using a clothesline or drying rack instead of the dryer
• Washing suitable loads in cold water
• Using a smaller cooking appliance for a small meal, where it consumes less energy
• Heating the room you’re using rather than every room in the house

An air fryer isn’t automatically cheaper for every meal. Its advantage depends on cooking time, appliance power, and how much food you’re preparing. Likewise, buying a new appliance purely to save electricity doesn’t always stack up.

If something needs replacing anyway, compare its energy consumption as well as its purchase price. Energy-rating stars help compare similar appliances. The annual kWh figure helps estimate running costs, although your actual use will differ.

The best purchase is something you’ll genuinely use, can afford, and can take to your next home.

4. Consider a portable battery, but do the maths first

Portable batteries deserve a mention because renters can take them when they move.

Here, I mean a portable power station with suitable appliance outlets, rather than a small phone power bank.

A compatible power station can charge during cheaper electricity periods. You can then use its stored energy to power connected devices during expensive periods.

Think laptops, a television, or a fan, provided the battery supports their power requirements.

The principle is straightforward: buy electricity cheaply, then use it when grid electricity costs more. However, battery capacity, output limits, and energy losses affect the result.

A portable battery isn’t automatically a money-saving purchase. It has an upfront cost, and you lose some electricity during charging and use.

Consider this example:

• You deliver 1 kWh from the battery to your devices
• Assume an overall charging-to-use efficiency of 85%
• You therefore buy approximately 1.18 kWh to charge it
• At 20 cents per kWh, charging costs approximately 24 cents
• Avoiding 1 kWh at a peak rate of 45 cents saves approximately 21 cents after charging costs

Repeat that every day, and the saving is approximately $78 per year, before battery wear and other losses.

That’s useful, but it won’t quickly repay an expensive purchase. A free charging window improves the calculation, provided the overall plan suits you. If you already own a power station for camping or outages, using it this way may offer extra value.

Before buying, check:

• Usable capacity, rather than just advertised capacity
• Continuous output and appliance starting requirements
• Charging speed and compatibility with your cheaper electricity window
• Whether the manufacturer supports your intended daily use
• Purchase cost compared with realistic annual savings

Connect appliances directly to the power station as instructed. Never connect its output to a household wall socket.

For budget-conscious renters, I’d try the free and inexpensive changes first.

5. Compare your electricity and gas plans

You could change every habit in the house and still pay too much for each unit of energy.

That makes comparing plans one of the most practical starting points. You don’t need your landlord to approve a retailer change. Where you can choose your retailer, compare plans using your actual consumption. Some embedded networks offer fewer options.

Look beyond the advertised discount and check:

• Electricity and gas usage rates
• Daily supply charges
• Peak, shoulder, and off-peak periods
• Demand charges, where applicable
• Conditions attached to discounts, credits, or free electricity
• The estimated annual cost for your household

A lower usage rate isn’t necessarily better if the daily supply charge is substantially higher. Likewise, a generous free electricity window might disappoint if most of your consumption falls outside it.

Compare electricity and gas separately, too. Having both with one retailer may be convenient, but it doesn’t guarantee the lowest combined cost.

Government comparison services include Energy Made Easy in NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and the ACT.

Victorians can use Victorian Energy Compare. Options elsewhere depend on the local market and whether retailer choice is available.

Using your actual usage data produces a more relevant comparison than relying on a generic household estimate. Set yourself a reminder to review your plans each year, and whenever your retailer changes its prices.

Long-term renters: Consider the bigger options

Now, this is where renters like me enter the chat.

If you plan to stay for five years or more, larger energy upgrades might deserve a closer look. Solar panels, home batteries, heat pump hot water, and efficient reverse-cycle heating could reduce your ongoing bills.

However, five years isn’t a guaranteed payback period. Each upgrade needs its own calculation, based on your consumption, upfront costs, available incentives, and expected savings.

Solar may suit households that use plenty of electricity during daylight hours. Batteries need a closer assessment of tariffs, charging opportunities, and how much stored energy you’ll actually use.

A heat pump might make sense when an inefficient hot water system needs replacing. That’s also a good opportunity to discuss the landlord contributing.

After all, you benefit from lower bills, while the owner gains an upgraded property. A written agreement can help divide those costs and benefits.

Get the long-term arrangement in writing

“We’re happy for you to stay for years” is reassuring. It isn’t the same as a signed long-term rental agreement.

Before investing, seek a formal agreement covering your intended tenancy period, alongside written approval for the specific upgrades.

Permission to install equipment and an agreement about its ownership are two separate things. You need both addressed before spending money.

The agreement should clearly cover:

• Who pays: Equipment, installation, approvals, maintenance, repairs, and any finance repayments
• Who owns it: Whether ownership remains with you, belongs to the landlord, or transfers at an agreed point
• What stays: Which systems remain at the property when you leave
• What can go: Whether you can remove equipment, and who pays for disconnection, removal, and restoration
• What happens to rent: Whether the upgrade affects rent, including any agreed contribution or adjustment
• What happens if circumstances change: Early termination, a property sale, or either party needing to end the arrangement

Rules about alterations and restoring rental properties vary. Check your state or territory’s requirements before signing or installing anything.

Agree on an early-exit plan

Even carefully planned tenancies can end earlier than expected. Work, family circumstances, or changes involving the property can upset your timeline.

If you fund equipment that stays behind, agree upfront whether compensation applies when the tenancy ends early.

Specify which circumstances trigger compensation, how it’s calculated, who pays it, and when payment is due.

For example, you might negotiate reimbursement of an agreed portion of your contribution, reducing over time. That’s a proposed arrangement, rather than an automatic entitlement. Also, establish what happens if you choose to leave early, compared with circumstances outside your control.

Don’t assume you can simply take installed equipment with you. Removal and reinstallation can be expensive, and replacement systems or property repairs may be necessary. Have substantial agreements reviewed by a tenancy adviser or solicitor, particularly where ownership, compensation, or a sale is involved.

My rule: agree on the exit before paying for the installation. The savings should follow a clear plan, rather than a handshake.

Read more about my electrification journey as a renter:

• Does Solar Really Save You Money? Going Solar as a Renter With Solis
• Installing the New GoodWe ESA All-in-One on My Home with Hytech Solar
• Post-Installation Update of GoodWe ESA: Life With a Home Battery
• Can an Emerald Heat Pump Actually Save You Money?

Start small, and keep what works

You don’t need rooftop solar or a garage full of batteries to take some control of your energy bills. Start by understanding your consumption. Then tackle draughts, expensive habits, and the price you pay for energy.

Try a few changes, then compare your daily usage with a similar period. Allow for weather, household numbers, and time spent at home.

A lower bill alone doesn’t prove you used less energy. Rates, billing periods, and credits can also change the total. And remember: your rental might be temporary, but the habits and portable equipment can come with you.

Leave the property renovations to the owner. Take the useful savings with you.

The post 5 Ways To Realistically Save Money on Your Bills as Renters appeared first on Energy Matters.

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