Electricity Bills sky-rocketing !!

[topcropper]

I'm referring to the ones built long ago. Ones like Lanyon Homestead, close to Canberra.
Their walls are massive, awnings / verandahs over windows.

Yep, OK.

I'd imagine those big old houses with the massive thick walls would take some heating in winter, but then I really am only guessing? I could see how they'd be cool in summer though, especially with the wide verandas all round and generally lush trees and garden surrounds.

See ya's.

 

[nww]

After having solar installed two years ago and not having any bills
since then and was actually in credit with most, with the latest increases
in power charges this credit has now come back to a small bill of around $40.
I imagine this will now increase into the future to maybe the levels of before solar
certainly will after the 66 cents rebate drops to 20 cents in a few years time.

 

[Ideo]

Combined quarterly bill of $330 a quarter for electricity and gas. 2 bedroom unit with 2 air conditioners.

Amazing what turning off lights when you don't need them, turning off appliances at the wall and putting a jumper on when cold will do.

That said, it is still going up. And no, the white elephant is not the reason. It's just money grabbing from the free market system that is supposed to fix all the worlds ills but never does.

 

[kathryn d]

Yep, OK.

I'd imagine those big old houses with the massive thick walls would take some heating in winter, but then I really am only guessing? I could see how they'd be cool in summer though, especially with the wide verandas all round and generally lush trees and garden surrounds.

See ya's.

It works both ways. If it stays cool in the summer, it stays warm in the winter.
Taking advantage of cross breezes help too.

A lot of the natural ways to cool and warm houses, seem to be tossed aside for the modern looking houses...that are electric guzzlers.

Today,some people use straw bale construction. But you also need to use doors that fit properly.

 

[Ideo]

It works both ways. If it stays cool in the summer, it stays warm in the winter.
Taking advantage of cross breezes help too.

A lot of the natural ways to cool and warm houses, seem to be tossed aside for the modern looking houses...that are electric guzzlers.

Today,some people use straw bale construction. But you also need to use doors that fit properly.

You are bang on the money.

Passive design is one of the best ways of achieving an energy efficient house.

The majority of project homes etc are just poorly designed and built to an obvious bottom line. No eaves to west facing walls. Windows that don't open to allow cross flow ventilation. Poor insulation. The list goes on.

I have seen quite good energy efficiency on even west facing properties. It is just a matter of looking at the site in a sensitive manner. Providing deep balconies/verandahs/eaves is a fundamental aspect which many people overlook due to cost, or simply not thinking about it.

I grew up in a house my dad designed. Orientated north east. Large eaves. A separate outbuilding on the north western face with a deep internal courtyard to separate the heat source. Doors that could open and large windows to allow ventilation. A 4 bedroom home that cost very little to heat or cool due to these things being considered in the design stage. Plus cathedral ceilings and the ability of underfloor ventilation.

 

[eKwatee]

Are people really not going to say what the elephant in the room is?

I'll say it. My electricity bill has gone up since the Carbon Tax, drop the Carbon Tax and electricity bills will go down. The Carbon Tax was supposed to increase electricity prices, so remove the tax and we all pay cheaper prices. Simple

 

[Ideo]

I'll say it. My electricity bill has gone up since the Carbon Tax, drop the Carbon Tax and electricity bills will go down. The Carbon Tax was supposed to increase electricity prices, so remove the tax and we all pay cheaper prices. Simple

Get rid of the Carbon tax and get rid of the 18k tax free threshold and take it back down to 6k and you will be worse off. Hence why the increase to the tax free threshold was introduced.

My bill actually went down when you look at the one pre Carbon tax and the one post Carbon tax. Explain that one

 

[depreciator]

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/power-profits-up-by-100m-despite-users-cutting-back-20121107-28xil.html

 

[MsAli]

I'll say it. My electricity bill has gone up since the Carbon Tax, drop the Carbon Tax and electricity bills will go down. The Carbon Tax was supposed to increase electricity prices, so remove the tax and we all pay cheaper prices. Simple

I said it already

 

[Ideo]

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/power-profits-up-by-100m-despite-users-cutting-back-20121107-28xil.html

Spending on poles and wires contributed half the cost of residential electricity bills. The next highest cost was energy generation (25 per cent). The cost of retailing the electricity contributes 10 per cent, the carbon tax added 8 per cent and "other green schemes" contributed 7 per cent, the audit found.

The NSW auditor-general, Peter Achterstraat, said wholesale electricity prices had fallen in 2010-11 because NSW consumers were using less electricity, but retail prices were increasing because the companies were spending more on maintenance of the distribution systems, especially poles and wires.
"The wholesale prices are down, down, down, but the retail prices are up, up, up," Mr Achterstraat said.

Nah. It's the Carbon Tax.

 

[HiEquity]

It's 4 of us at home and the bill was $1625 during winter and the latest bill is $1200+!!! :x

MsAli

Something is very wrong with this elephant right here. You would be paying about the same as us for electricity per unit but using about six times the amount that our family of five (and a dog), with a big pool, uses - although we have gas cooking and hot water.

I suspect it's probably a fair proportion of a whole host of things to reach this level:

- Large house (ours is 140sqm)
- Poor insulation & orientation (we have a well oriented house and R3.5 insulation)
- Use of rev cycle A/C throughout winter and summer to a constant year round temperature setpoint rather than allowing temps in the house to move in accordance with the seasons - eg circa 18c in winter (wear a jumper) and 25/27 degrees in summer (wear shorts). Doing this makes a huge difference in how hard the A/C has to work. (We hardly have to use A/C except on prolonged circa 40 degree days in Perth and some extra cold nights in winter for a few hours at a time).
- Oversized pool pump or running too long
- Halogen / incandescent lighting rather than CFL / LED (we have the latter).
- Electric storage hot water with a high temperature setpoint (we have gas instant). If you have electric storage hot water set it to the lowest level it will go (circa 60 degrees to kill bacteria in the tank - it won't let you go below that) - that will significantly reduce both the direct water heating required and the losses from the system while it's just sitting there.
- Lots of computers / modems / TVs / etc left on or on standby

I hope this helps in getting that power bill down. There are plenty of web resources and information from govt energy depts around the country for more detailed information.

 

[weg]

I was talking to a couple of the neighbours a week or 2 ago and they also expressed shock at the rise in their electricity bills.

Elderly couple across the road got a bill for $980. They use a split system in their medium sized family room only, and apart from that don't have any computers, halogens, etc., although they are home all day, every day.

Ours was over 1K for the first time ever for the winter period; $1231.36 to be exact - but to be fair our usage went up SLIGHTLY.

We have not put on our ducted heating at all this winter, no even for 5 minutes, instead using a small energy efficient heater in one of the boys bedrooms for about 30 to 40 minutes on weekday mornings and occasionally on very cold nights - but we used these last winters too.

Third neighbours bill also went up significantly, as did my mothers from under $200 to $265 or thereabouts (she uses gas for heating).

I personally think low income earners are feeling the pinch, and that in turn is having a significant effect on spending habits outside of the building and property market.

Regardless of how much people are using, charges have gone up significantly over the last 3 or 4 years.

I think many that have cut down their usage are probably not seeing any significant corresponding reduction either, and I think many with solar are seeing rises that they didn't expect as well (third neighbour).

 

[Aaron_C]

I'll say it. My electricity bill has gone up since the Carbon Tax, drop the Carbon Tax and electricity bills will go down. The Carbon Tax was supposed to increase electricity prices, so remove the tax and we all pay cheaper prices. Simple

Took 26 posts to flesh it out, well done!

 

[wategos]

Carbon tax is not responsible, it's "Gold Plating" by electrickery companies.
Has been legislated against now though.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-new...of-electric-assets-to-end-20120823-24ov2.html

"Skyrocketing transmission and distribution network costs have been the single biggest contributor to electricity price rises in recent years."

 

[eKwatee]

Get rid of the Carbon tax and get rid of the 18k tax free threshold and take it back down to 6k and you will be worse off. Hence why the increase to the tax free threshold was introduced.

You did realise that the government scrapped the low income rebate when changing the tax free threshold, so the extra money to a low income earner is next to nothing. It's give with one hand and take from the other. Don't be fooled by the Labor Government's spin.

My bill actually went down when you look at the one pre Carbon tax and the one post Carbon tax. Explain that one

You probably used much less power

 

[HiEquity]

Just to be clear, the CT was responsible for around a 10% increase in electricity prices across the country, some places a bit more and others a bit less. It was also responsible for a whole heap of income and other tax reductions but we know all that.

Most of the rest of the increases are primarily transmission and distribution charges because of the "wall of wire" where all the transmission and distribution power lines built fifty years ago now need replacing. While there is definitely an element of gold plating in there a lot of that was actually required and the gold plating stuff will be required one day anyway - often it's more efficient in the long run to make the bigger investment now rather than have to go back as demand rises.

Transmission line investments are very lumpy - you don't want to have to go back and do it again anytime soon if you can help it. But there is always the risk that lack of demand will mean the asset isn't fully utilised. We have seen that happen across Australia recently as electricity demand has actually fallen for pretty much the first time ever over the last few years. Hence assets built for greater anticipated demand now look "gold plated" in this new reality - it's a brave new world for the power industry. Nobody in the industry has lived through a period of reducing demand for electricity before... in my view the price rises are primarily responsible for that, which is a good thing considering how much was wasted when it was so cheap.

Back to the topic, going by the scale of many people's electricity bills, I believe a visit by an energy auditor would be well worth their while in financial terms so they can get an idea of where their money is going. Something is wrong at these $1000+ levels because the electricity is going somewhere!

 

[willair]

We just received the bills over the past few days all have gone up maybe 20%,so thanks Labor but the funny part that came with all the bills was the "Please Do Not Knock"no salepeople,thankyou..front gate sticker..

I would say the power companies don't want anyone else door-knocking the street and be pressured into signing up with another power company..

 

[MsAli]

Back to the topic, going by the scale of many people's electricity bills, I believe a visit by an energy auditor would be well worth their while in financial terms so they can get an idea of where their money is going. Something is wrong at these $1000+ levels because the electricity is going somewhere!

HiEquity, I wasn't surprised by the winter bill of $1625 as it was although higher still in line with last years and the year before.

However this current bill is a shocker. Didn't expect $1200 (inc $262 gas bill) when spring had started. Although have to admit it has been chilly on and off in Sydney. We don't use our split air con (been cold!) mostly use gas for heating in the lounge...I reckon it's due to the computers left on stand by on the weekend...

Will have to be more vigilant!

Whats an Energy Auditor? Anything as such exits?

 

[The Fence]

I urge people to lean how to read their energy meter and to look at that wheel spinning or data ticking over when they have someone inside turning things on and off just to see what uses the most.

I was checking the meter they other week one morning early and it was spinning very very very slowly then all of a sudden it took off and spun rapidly....I nearly fell over as I thought it might have been a spike in the supply or whatever...then checked with the wife if she had turned anything on, yep....the kettle.!!

Same goes with the iron and the hot water, they all spin rapidly when powered up.

But also, dont underestimate that computer or TV even not being used but turned on in wait mode...turns very very slowly, but all day and night those slow revolutions add up.

But still, it's hard to go cold in Winter and hot in Summer....well it is here anyway, 40 plus in summer every day and frosts most mornings in winter with overnight temps plunging the second that sun dssapears.
Especially hard for the oldies who are home most of the time and not as active.

But is there any decent saving solution coming from the CT for normal households.....I cant see any...yet.

 

[BMW]

I'll say it. My electricity bill has gone up since the Carbon Tax, drop the Carbon Tax and electricity bills will go down. The Carbon Tax was supposed to increase electricity prices, so remove the tax and we all pay cheaper prices. Simple

Don't forget the 20% renewable energy target. Probably worse than the carbon tax.