Over the last few months there have been many reports and media blitzes about energy prices and how to save on your power bills. In South Australia it has been the number one issue since the night the lights went out in South Australia and no wonder with most residents suffering unexpected increases of between $300 - $500 on their quarterly power bills. A storm so powerful it seemed to single handedly push up power prices Australia wide.
Some have seen this as a commercial opportunity to promote their products over others with their latest sales campaigns or even to try to sell you a new fridge. Whilst a new fridge may actually be a good way to save money over time, depending on the age of your current fridge, it is no wonder some people are still left wondering who is the best to turn to for some real advice. If you are looking for a comprehensive look at the issues and practical solutions to your power troubles the Government supported EnergySmart is possibly the best source of advice without the hype or sales pitch.
The basics are simple we use around:
- 40% Heating and cooling our houses
- 23% on heating water
- 14% on washing machines and driers
- 7% on lighting
- Standby Power, that's having all those blinking lights and the multitude of clocks running on our domestic appliances such as TVs and recorders we chew up around $250 a year.
Anything we do to change the amount we use for each of these areas helps to save money. Such as using cold water for washing clothes rather than hot or selecting more efficient temperature ranges for heating and cooling. Costing solar energy with a No Interest payment scheme can see us eventually get our money back over time.
EnergySmart has published a booklet and website with videos to assist you to understand and make a real difference to your power bill.