6 admin tasks you can do from the couch this long weekend

If you want to tick off a few jobs this long weekend, but the cosy couch is also calling, here are 6 ways to get the best of both worlds. These simple tasks will only take a few minutes and, in the spirit of Matariki, leave you with the decks cleared ready for a fresh start.

1. Find the cheapest power plan
   
   If you’re a Flick Electric or Frank Energy customer and have learned your power company is closing – or maybe you just want to check if you could be paying less for power – take a few minutes to check out our Powerswitch website.

   Our new AI bill reader function can quickly tell you where you could be getting a better deal on power.

2. Check if you’re paying too much for insurance
   
   You might be in the habit of just paying whatever your insurance company tells you to at renewal time, but it’s worth checking what else is out there. We do price surveys and often find big differences in what you can pay for the same coverage at different insurance companies.

   Find out if you can get a better deal by checking our price comparisons for house and contents insurance, car insurance and health insurance.

3. Clear out your phone apps
   
   A few tweaks to your home screen and a clean out of those unused apps, can make you feel like a new person. Our tech writer Nick Gelling has shared his advice on how to clean up your phone inside and out.

4. Audit your emergency supplies
   
   You’ll never regret planning out an emergency supply kit – or working out what is missing from your existing one. Our product test writer Amy McNabb has shared tips on how to make a home emergency kit.

   Once you’ve got a list of what you need, you can make a plan for where to get each item. For supermarket items, you can just get a few things each time you go to the supermarket until your kit is complete.

5. Program your heat pump remote
   
   Rather than leaving your heat pump running constantly, programme its remote to come on half an hour before you wake up and then half an hour before you get home at the end of the day.

6. Find a slow cooker to buy
   
   Slow cookers use very little power so are a cheaper way to cook than turning on the oven. We’ve tested 24 of them and found you don’t need to spend much to get a good one.

Got a bit more energy? Here are 3 more jobs we can help you tick off around the house this long weekend.

1. Clean all the filters around your home. From heat pumps to washing machines, dishwashers and dehumidifiers; it sounds a hassle, but cleaning the filters is easier than you’d think. A couple of minutes on each filter saves money because it will make your appliances run more efficiently.

2. Descale the lime chalk from your kettle to make it quieter.
   

3. And if you really feel like ticking off the tasks over the long weekend – use our guide to cleaning your oven.