Looking for the Latest Landscape Garden TrendsAutumn’s begun and now that there’s a noticeable chill in the air, preparing for winter is a top priority. If you’re anything like us you’ve been wondering if it’s too soon to turn the heater on in the evenings or if now’s the time to hire a handyman to chop and stack some wood for your fire.

Here are three things you can do right now.

  1. Hire a registered electrician to safety test your electric blankets and heaters today.  You have packed them away for summer and they would have collected a bit of dust. The cords may have been chewed by rodents or even the internal wiring. A few dollars spent now will bring peace of mind over the coming months.
  2. Install smoke alarms, or if you already have them, hire an alarm technician to service them. The end of Daylight Savings is a great time to remember to replace your smoke alarm batteries. In terms of smoke alarm placement, Fire and Emergency NZ recommend they are installed in every bedroom, living room and hallway of your home.
  3. Hire a qualified plumber to check your hot water cylinder is set at the correct temperate and consider having it insulated. Not only will this prevent nasty accidents if it’s too hot, it’ll keep your hot water warmer for less. Hot water usage takes up a large part of our power bills. Also check your cylinder is set at 60 degrees at the cylinder and 55 degrees at the tap. This prevents the growth of legionella bacteria and also prevents hot water burns.

Another way to reduce your power bill is to replace your hot water cylinder with solar panels. Read our article to learn more about the benefits of using solar panels and their installation.

Solar Panel installation can be expensive and complex, so it’s important to hire a professional installer with a good reputation.