Electricity bills can be a significant expense for households, but understanding how to read your bill and making small changes around your home can lead to substantial savings. Here are some practical tips to help you reduce your electricity bill:
Know Your Bill
Electricity bills from various retailers may appear different, but they all contain the same essential information. By understanding your electricity bill, you can make more informed decisions about your energy usage and costs. Key details like energy consumption, rates, and charges are clearly outlined. Learning to interpret this information empowers you to compare different electricity plans and find one that best suits your household’s energy needs. At Great Energy, we help you simplify this process by offering transparent plans and clear billing. Making the right choice can lead to significant savings and a plan tailored to your family’s energy consumption. Visit our website to explore energy plans designed with your needs in mind.
Related Blogs:
What Are Electricity And Gas Brokers
Commercial and Residential Brokerage Services
Find Your Account Details
On the front page of your bill, you’ll find your name, address, account number, and NMI (National Meter Identifier). Your account number is crucial when contacting your retailer to discuss better electricity plans. Keep this information handy for efficient service. For more tips on saving energy and finding competitive plans, visit GreatEnergy. We’re here to help you get the best deal on your electricity. Make sure to regularly check your bill for details that could help you save on energy costs.
Know What Electricity Plan You Are On
Look for a heading or section on your bill called Energy Plan, Tariff Type, Current Agreement (or similar). If your plan name is Standing Offer or Standard Tariff (or similar), you are on your electricity retailer’s generic or base plan. Standing Offer plans are typically less competitive than plans that offer discounts. Market Offer plans often include discounts and use words like Saver, Discount, or Flexi. The Australian Energy Regulator sets the maximum amount a retailer can charge a customer on a standard retail contract each year (known as the Default Market Offer).
How To Find A Better Electricity Plan
As an electricity customer, you are encouraged to shop around for a better price.
You can use the Energy Made Easy website to compare offers from electricity and gas retailers servicing your area.
Your electricity bill provides essential details about the amount you owe and the due date for payment. It’s crucial to keep track of this information, as missing the due date can result in late payment fees, especially with certain electricity plans. Make sure to pay attention to the due date to avoid any additional charges.
Understand Usage And Charges
The all-day electricity usage charge may be referred to on your bill as any-time usage, Peak Consumption charge, or Residential Tariff. Your electricity plan has a lower price for electricity use at off-peak times, which could be referred to as an economy tariff for controlled load usage. Off-peak is when most homes use little electricity (e.g., in the middle of the day or very late at night). Many hot water systems may be on an off-peak or controlled load tariff. Electric appliances connected to an economy, off-peak, or controlled load tariff are charged a lower fee for using energy outside peak times. The supply charge covers the cost of getting electricity to your house (through the poles and wires) and is not based on how much energy you use. It could also be referred to as the Daily Supply Charge or Service to Property Charge. Your electricity bill will also have a section showing the discounts you are entitled to on your plan, Solar feed-in tariff, and any rebates or concessions (if eligible).
Discounts and Charges on Your Electricity Bill
Discounts depend on your plan but might include pay-on-time discounts, a percentage discount off your total bill, or discounts for paying by direct debit. Most electricity companies also display a graph or image to help you compare your electricity usage to similar homes in your area. Find out more about supply charges, usage charges, and demand charges.
Economy Electricity Tariffs
Economy Tariff 31 is for hot water systems and is available for at least 8 hours daily for customers connected to the Ergon or Energex electricity distribution networks. Economy Tariff 33 is available for at least 18 hours a day and rewards customers connected to the Ergon or Energex electricity distribution networks for using electricity outside peak demand times (usually 4 pm–9 pm).
Save Energy Around The Home
Energy-Efficient Appliances
Appliances can be responsible for much of your home’s energy consumption. Buying a new fridge, washing machine, clothes dryer, or air conditioner that is water- or energy-efficient may cost a little more, but it will save you money on running costs in the long term. When shopping for appliances, look for their energy rating and water rating. This will help you determine which products are the most efficient and cheapest to run.
For more information, You can visit our Great Energy 1.
Energy Efficiency
Lowering your energy usage and considering off-peak options (i.e., economy or time-of-use tariffs) are 2 of the cheapest and easiest ways to reduce your electricity bill.
Note:
Switching an appliance not already connected to an economy tariff will incur costs for your electrician to install a new meter. Consider the long-term benefits of switching to an economy tariff, including the payback period to recover all associated fees.
Water Heating And 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 and set it 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, as they take different amounts of time to dry thoroughly.
- Avoid using the dryer where possible. Instead, dry clothes in the sun or on an indoor rack near a sunny window.
Air Conditioning And Heating
For every 1 degree of extra cooling or heating, your electricity usage could increase by 5% to 10%. 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°C and 26°C. For heating, set your air conditioner temperature between 18°C and 20°C. Clean your air conditioner filter twice yearly to ensure it runs as efficiently as possible.
Kitchen
- Your refrigerator uses the most energy because it cycles on and off every day.
- Limit the time the fridge door is open to keep the food inside cold.
- Clean seals on the fridge and freezer and replace them if they do not seal adequately.
- Fill up your dishwasher entirely and use an economy setting.
- Turn off small appliances on the power point when not in use.
- Choose more energy-efficient appliances when shopping.
Lighting
Household lighting represents about 6% of electricity costs in Great Energy 1 homes. By replacing old light bulbs with more energy-efficient options like LED or compact fluorescent lamps, you can reduce your lighting costs by more than 80%. 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.
Tv And Entertainment
Please switch off the TV and other entertainment appliances on the wall when nobody uses them.
Note:
Some electronic devices can’t be turned off because that would disrupt the recording programs you’ve set up.
Standby Is Still Using Power
Turn everything off at the wall, as your appliances use power even when unused. Turn off phone chargers, tablet chargers, and gaming consoles, as these also use standby power. Lowering your usage also reduces pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and the need for further infrastructure development.
Energy Concessions
Great Energy 1 offers a range of gas and electricity rebates and concessions to eligible households, including concession card holders such as pensioners and seniors.
Examples Of Some Rebates
Cost of Living rebate (Opens in new window)—available to eligible households in Great Energy 1. Electricity and gas rebates—available to eligible concession card holders, including pensioners and seniors, and Health Care Card holders living in Great Energy 1. Rebates for customers living in residential home parks and multi-unit residential premises: The owners or proprietors of these homes must advise eligible residents about these rebates and claim on their behalf.
Financial Assistance
- Home energy emergency assistance scheme – one-off emergency assistance for households experiencing problems paying their energy bills due to an unforeseen emergency or a short-term financial crisis.
- Electricity life support – concessions for eligible people who are seriously ill and use a home-based oxygen concentrator or kidney dialysis machine.
- Medical cooling and heating electricity concession scheme: This scheme helps with electricity costs for people who have a chronic medical condition that is aggravated by changes in temperature.
Related Blogs:
How To Choose The Best Natural Gas
Find Out More
Your Energy Savings provides tips about how to save energy and understand your bill. Ergon Energy’s household energy use calculator can help you identify the areas of your home that use the most energy. 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. Resources about managing energy and water use.