5 Home Costs to Cut Before January

The festive season is expensive enough. Here’s how to stop your home from quietly adding to the bill.

From 1 July, Joburg households started paying more for almost every service that keeps the house running:

Tshwane electricity went up 8.8%.

You can’t control tariffs, but you can control how much you use. Here are five places to start.

1. Your geyser: the biggest power user in the house

Eskom estimates that heating water can make up around 40% of a household’s electricity bill. That makes your geyser the first thing to look at.

• Set the thermostat to 60°C. Eskom says that’s hot enough for everyday use.
• Insulate it. Fit a geyser blanket and insulate the first 1.5m of hot-water pipe.
• Fit a timer. There’s no need to keep water hot all day. A 210-litre geyser takes about two hours to heat to 60°C, so it only needs to come on two hours before you need hot water.
• Use less hot water. Take shorter showers instead of baths, fit a low-flow showerhead and fix any dripping hot taps.

LUXLIV tip: check the thermostat and fit a timer before you spend money on new equipment, and use a qualified electrician.

2. Leaks: the bill you can’t see

With water tariffs up 12.5% in Joburg this year, a hidden leak costs more than ever. Joburg’s water charges also rise in steps, so the more you use, the higher the price you pay for each additional kilolitre.

The 2-minute meter test:

1. Turn off every tap and water-using appliance.
2. Note your water meter reading.
3. Wait 30 minutes without using any water, then check again.

If the reading has moved, you probably have a leak.

The usual culprits are running toilets, leaking cisterns, dripping garden taps, irrigation lines and pool plumbing.

LUXLIV tip: compare your own meter readings with your municipal account each month. You’ll spot a leak, or a billing error, before it turns into a big bill.

3. Insurance: right cover, not just cheap cover

Before you renew, get a fresh quote, compare like-for-like cover, and check your excesses and whether combining policies actually saves you anything.

Be careful about cutting cover to lower your premium, though. Most South African home policies include an average clause. If you’re underinsured, the insurer only pays out in proportion to how much of the real value you’ve covered.

Example:

• Your contents would cost R1.5 million to replace.
• You insure them for R1 million, which is two-thirds of their value.
• You claim R150,000.
• The insurer pays two-thirds of the claim: R100,000.

If you’ve upgraded your security, bought new appliances or renovated, your cover may need updating.

LUXLIV tip: the cheapest policy can turn out to be the most expensive one when you need to claim.

4. Subscriptions and debit orders

Streaming services, apps, data bundles and gym memberships are easy to forget because they leave your account automatically.

Go through your last three months of bank statements and list every recurring payment. Then ask:

• Am I still using this?
• Am I paying twice for the same thing?
• Is there a cheaper package?
• Can I pause it until the new year?

Cancelling R150 of unused subscriptions and downgrading one service by R100 saves R250 a month, or R3,000 a year.

LUXLIV tip: set a reminder to repeat this every six months.

5. Maintenance: small fixes now, smaller bills later

Gauteng’s summer storms are on their way. A blocked gutter, a cracked roof tile or a slow leak can turn a small repair into an insurance claim.

Before December:

• Clear the gutters and stormwater drains.
• Check the roof for loose or cracked tiles.
• Inspect your plumbing and irrigation.
• Service your pool pump, gate motor and air-conditioners.

LUXLIV tip: put a small amount into a home maintenance fund each month, so a surprise repair doesn’t become a crisis.

What it could add up to

These are examples, not guaranteed savings. Maintenance savings in particular are irregular.

Start 2027 a step ahead

You don’t need a big lifestyle change to make a difference to your budget. A few small fixes now could mean starting January with more breathing room.

And if your home still costs more to run than it should, even after all of this, it may be time to talk about a home that suits the way you live now.

Thinking about your next move? Give us a call.
Phone: 078 340 5087 | Email: marussia@luxlivproperty.com

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