AAP and Emma McBryde
Power bills will surge by up to $600 annually for hundreds of thousands of Australian households under a new electricity price ceiling.
While the default market offer, determined by the Australian Energy Regulator, fixes the maximum price retailers can charge customers in NSW, South Australia and south-east Queensland, not Rockhampton and Yeppoon, locals are also feeling the pinch from their power bills.
There are several tips people can use to keep electricity bills low and some programs for Queenslanders.
The State Government has the home energy emergency assistance scheme as a one-off emergency assistance for households experiencing problems paying their energy bills as a result of an unforeseen emergency or a short-term financial crisis.
There is also the electricity life support to provide concessions for eligible people who are seriously ill and use a home-based oxygen concentrator or kidney dialysis machine, the medical cooling and heating electricity concession scheme for helps with electricity costs for people who have a chronic medical condition which is aggravated by changes in temperature, and the drought relief from electricity charges scheme for relief from electricity supply charges on accounts that are used to pump water for farm or irrigation purposes, available in drought-declared areas or properties.
The federal government committed $3 billion towards direct energy price relief in the May budget.
But social welfare groups want the government to go further.
The head of the Australian Council of Social Service, Cassandra Goldie, said the price cap needed to be extended until 2025 and that the slated increases in income support wouldn’t go far enough.
“Governments must step in to do more to provide income and debt relief now,” she said.
The opposition has already attacked the government for failing to bring down energy prices.
Energy spokesman Ted O’Brien said the government couldn’t claim the lower-than-forecast increase as a win after Labor came to power promising cheaper electricity bills.
“When the government says it could have been worse, it’s the government comparing its set of dumb policies now to its really dumb policies only a few months ago,” Mr O’Brien said.
Mr Bowen said the government had not given up on its pledge to reduce power bills by $275 by 2025, and would work to hasten to transition to renewable energy to bring prices down.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry called for the government to expedite investment in clean energy, saying small businesses were struggling to keep up with price hikes.
More information is available for those who want to save on:
– The Energy Savings’ website, which provides tips about how to save energy and understand your bill.
– Ergon Energy’s household energy use calculator can help you identify the highest energy using areas of your home.
– Energex’s and Ergon Energy’s demand management programs can save you money.
– Your Home website can help you make energy efficient decisions when buying, building or renovating.
– Digital meters can help you monitor and understand your electricity consumption.
KEEP YOUR DOORS AND WINDOWS SHUT TO TRAP WARM AIR INSIDE
One in four Australians say their energy bill is one of their top three most stressful expenses, according to Finder’s Consumer Sentiment Tracker.
Over one-third of Aussies believe they are not getting good value on their energy bill.
Finder utilities expert Mariam Gabaji has some hot tips for staying warm on a budget during the wintry weather.
Ms Gabaji suggests keeping all doors and windows closed while a heater, saying keeping them open is akin to throwing money out the window instead of trapping in the warm air.
She said older models of air conditioners and heating units are less efficient and more costly to run than newer ones.
Also, she suggested making sure it is kept clean and clear of dirt and bacteria that can clog the system.
Standby power use can cost the average household around $100 a year, Ms Gabaji said.
She said using energy-efficient appliances in the kitchen and laundry room can also help to keep overall energy costs down.
HOT TIPS TO SAVE ON POWER BILLS
– insulate rooms as best you can
– consider having air conditioners or heating units checked, switch devices off at the wall
– make sure heating devices are kept clean and unclogged
– opt for energy efficiency where possible
SAVE MONEY IN THE LAUNDRY
– Ensure your electric hot water is on a controlled load (off-peak) tariff.
– Use cold water for laundry combined with a suitable cold water detergent.
– Fully load the washing machine, set to economy wash to save on energy use.
– Clean the clothes dryer lint filter after every load and don’t mix light and heavy clothes together, as they take different amounts of time to dry fully.
– Avoid using the dryer where possible. Instead use the sun or an indoor rack placed near a sunny window to dry clothes.
KITCHEN SAVINGS
Your refrigerator uses the most energy because it cycles on and off all day, every day.
– Limit the time the fridge door is open, this will keep the food inside cold.
– Clean seals on the fridge and freezer and replace if they do not seal adequately.
– Fill up your dishwasher completely and use an economy setting.
– Turn off small appliances at the power point when not in use.
– Choose more energy efficient appliances when shopping.
AIR CON TIPS
For every 1 degree of extra cooling or heating it could increase your electricity usage by around five per cent to 10 per cent.
– Open your windows and doors to create cross breezes and use fans to circulate the cool air.
– Close your doors, windows, curtains and blinds in areas you want to cool or heat, so the air stays inside.
– For cooling, set your air conditioner temperature between 24 degrees Celsius and 26 degrees Celsius.
– For heating, set your air conditioner temperature between 18 degrees Celsius and 20 degrees Celsius.
– Clean your air conditioner filter twice a year to ensure it runs as efficiently as possible.
LIGHTS OUT
Household lighting represents about six per cent of electricity costs in Queensland homes.
– Reduce your lighting costs by more than 80 per cent by replacing old light bulbs with more energy efficient options like LED or compact fluorescent lamps. These options also last 5 to 10 times longer.
– Place reading lamps near chairs to avoid lighting up the whole room.
– Open curtains and blinds to use natural lighting during the day.
PUSH FOR CLEAN
An energy expert of more than two decades has argued a faster transition away from coal and the dependence on gas generation to renewables will bring down energy bills.
Nexa Advisory CEO and principal Stephanie Bashir said cleaner and cheaper renewables and storage would ensure consumers are better off.
“The clean energy transition is critical to meeting Australia’s climate targets, energy security and supply stability, and controlling and abating cost of living pressures on Australians,” Ms Bashir said.
“New transmission is essential to achieve the clean energy transition, allowing renewably generated electricity to reach the market Australia customers.
“However, delivering them is taking too long for a number of complex, but resolvable reasons.
“These delays in building new transmission lines have negative consequences for electricity customers.”
She said the modelling showed avoiding the cost of building new transmission does not lower consumers’ electricity bills.