WITH the cost of living rising and no real relief in sight for families, News Of The Area has collated a series of simple things you can do to save money on your energy bills.

Almost one in three (27 percent) Australians rated their energy bill as one of their top three most stressful expenses in November, according to Finder’s Consumer Sentiment Tracker.

The FiftyUp Club, a service which helps consumers 50 and over access discounts and special offers, suggests families switch to a cheaper electricity plan, ideally with a sign-up credit.

Furthermore, they recommend that if you get another price hike, switch again.

Consumers should check for any government rebates and concessions, while homeowners should consider solar and, of course, try and minimise energy usage.

They also suggest that you keep the dial on your air conditioner set at 22 or 23 degrees in summer, with every degree adding about ten percent to an average bill over the season.

Finder analysis shows it can cost between $132 and $707 to run your air conditioner this summer depending on where you live.

Cooling-only split systems cost $152 on average to run over the summer period, while reverse-cycle split systems cost $185.

Unsurprisingly fans are cheaper to run than air conditioners, costing just two to three cents per hour.

Air conditioners can cost anywhere between $0.33 and $1.70 to run per hour depending on the type.

“As Australians settle in for a scorching summer, many are worried about the price of keeping cool,” Finder tech and utilities expert Mariam Gabaji said.

“If you can, only run your air conditioner during the hottest parts of the day.

“Cutting down from four to three hours of use can knock 25 percent off your cooling bill.

“Where possible, set a timer on your air conditioner so that it’s not running all night long but it stays cool long enough for you to fall asleep.”

While many Australians love an icy cold beer, running the old beer fridge can be expensive.

If you need it for events, try turning it off until a day or so before the event rather than running it all year round.

To save on energy costs Origin Energy suggests that householders identify appliances and electronics that consume energy even when turned off and unplugging them when not in use as well as conducting an energy audit to identify areas that have a scope for improvement.

By Marian SAMPSON