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BABY it's cold outside!
Truth be told, it's even a bit nippy inside.
My youngest has started wearing a long parker - with a hood - indoors!
She would never wear it on the outside.
Apparently the look is 100 per cent not cool - so-to-speak.
The hand-me-down, black knee-length parker from several seasons ago has a faux-fur, lined hood.
I'm told this should never be seen in public.
I like it.
I'm wrong, I'm told.
To be perfectly honest, Gen-Xers don't always understand fashion and going by what we wore in the 1980s I see where Gen Z is coming from.
Anyhow, for now the parker is acceptable as inside attire.
It's in the same boat as bed socks and some beanies!
With the cold snap on Australia's east coast now, there is a troubling early spike in demand for gas and heating.
Combined with failing coal-fired generators, the country running low on gas and all of Europe wanting non-Russian gas, the cold snap is particularly bad timing.
The new Minister for Climate Change and Energy (what a time to inherit such a title!), Chris Bowen, is already working with the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), the states and territories and industry to work out a plan.
The Turnbull government introduced the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism - we keep hearing about in the news - in 2017 over concerns that the exports of liquefied natural gas from Queensland may create domestic shortages over time.
It was worried that gas producers were selling gas overseas at lower prices than at home. The threat of government intervention has generally maintained supply at home.
The mechanism, however, won't help in this energy spike because Queensland gas can't be diverted to Victoria and the mechanism can't change prices, which are set internationally.
The government is going to need to work out a plan for the way the energy market works now and into the future.
According to Origin Energy, the average Australian home uses about 40 per cent of their energy on heating and cooling.
Here's six tips to keep a lid on your energy bill this winter without having to wear a parker around the house:
- Only heat the rooms you use most: Reduce the area you heat by closing doors to rooms you're not using, so you'll use less energy to heat the rest of the house at the end of the day.
- Keep your thermostat between 18 and 20 degrees: The struggle is real, here! I'm well known to bump it up to 22 degrees some wintry days. But every degree you reduce heat can save up to 10 per cent on energy use.
- Use a draught stopper: If cold air is getting in, warm air is getting out. Invest in door seals, draught-proofing strips and door snakes to stop heat escaping and reduce your heating costs by up to 25 per cent.
- Take shorter showers: Hot water use accounts for about 21 per cent of energy bills, so having shorter showers can result in big savings in the long run.
- Close your curtains: Shutting curtains or blinds is an easy way to stop heat escaping. Windows can let more than 40 per cent of your winter warmth escape your home.
- Bake a cake: While the oven uses energy, it will also heat the kitchen and generate something for afternoon tea or school lunch boxes.
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