Fuel Poverty In Aussie Homes

More and more homes around Australia are facing fuel poverty, as electricity prices rise. A home is said to be suffering from fuel poverty, when 10% or more of the disposable income, is spent on energy bills.

Already with the recent increases in electricity prices, some householders have been forced to:

• Have the electricity disconnected.
• Reduce the household food bill.

If you have been affected by fuel poverty, we would like to know. Either leave your comments on this blog, or email Aussie Home Energy.

Today, earlier on the Radio National Fran Kelly Breakfast show, was a report by James Carlton on Fuel Poverty. This audio report is interesting enough, to get an idea on how fuel poverty can easily affect the Aussie household. Shocking, when we hear an electricity provider, state that prices may double in the next five years.

To listen to the 'Fuel Poverty' audio click here.

Aussie Home Electricity Bill Errors

Is It Possible For Your Home Electricity Bill To Be At Error?

Like any other bill, the home electricity bill can also suffer from errors. Therefore it always pays, to have at least an understanding of how the electricity bill is compiled.

Not performing the electricity bill check, before paying, could mean you are going to be out of pocket!

Here are two errors in home electricity billing, that we have discovered in the last six months. Both of these errors became apparent, when the bill was inspected for accuracy, at the conclusion on a HOME ELECTRICITY AUDIT, or home energy assessment.

For one householder the error was advantageous, as there was a considerable credit due, from the electricity provider.

The two errors are as follows:

• No Off-Peak Electricity Recorded - This home uses electric hot water. The error occurred when the client transferred over from one provider to another. Out of the two providers, one did not transfer the hot water usage to an off-peak tariff. Thus the client was awarded a large credit due to the over charging of the hot water usage, having being charged at the on-peak rate

• No On-Peak Electricity Recorded - A couple of elderly clients, who have only ever paid for off-peak hot water and a service charge. Being in their home for just over 18 months, they were not aware of the electricity bills makeup. There was simply, no on-peak usage recorded on the bill. Nor noted by the electricity provider via the meter reader. A new meter had been installed prior to purchase of the home

Both of the above errors occurred over a period of one and a half years, with meters being read on a quarterly basis. What the above shows is this:

• Home electricity bill errors do occur
• It pays to understand your electricity bill

Recently we are becoming more aware of more Aussie homes with errors with smart meters. If you are a householder with errors due to smart meter, please leave your comments on this blog post. For more examples see our ELECTRICITY BILL ERRORS page.

If you do not fully understand youR home electricity bill, then contact Aussie Home Energy for information on their range of ELECTRICITY SAVING SERVICES.

Is Solar Photovoltaic A Good Form Of Investment?

Two questions we are often asked by householders are:

Is Solar Photovoltaic A Good Form Of Investment?

Will It Really Save Me Money Off My Electricity Costs?

No doubt like many householders connecting a Solar Photovoltaic [PV] system to the grid, you have spent considerable time looking into the efficiency of solar panels and inverters. Finalising your choice based on a mixture of efficiency, cost, warranties and installation time.

• So how long is your solar pv system going to take to pay off?
• Are there any other ways you could increase the overall efficiency of the investment?
• When will you start paying off electricity costs?

With the recent change in NSW to a gross feed tariff of $0.20 cents, we have done a few calculations. If you are thinking of going solar photovoltaic then you really need to read this report first. Read the full report on our GUIDES page.

Power Surge Interview With Giles Parkinson

Homes around Australia are being told by the media & electricity providers to get ready, to face big increases in electricity costs.

How big though will this increase be, as Australia moves to place a price on carbon?

Have critics got it right, when they report Governments have failed by not investing in electricity infrastructure? Is there more pain ahead?

On Radio National's Life Matters program business analyst Giles Parkinson from Climate Spectator discusses with Richard Aedy, why electricity costs are rising and offers some remedies.

Listen to the Power Surge interview and leave your comments.