Households
With high energy prices, households need all the help they can get to reduce their bills. While ACOSS is advocating for policy change to:
- Reduce electricity prices;
- Improve energy efficiency and access to clean energy for all; and
- Improve capacity to pay.
There may be a few things you can do that could go some way to help to reduce your energy bill, including:
Energy efficiency
Better retail offer
Making sure you are on the best energy deal from your retailer. Many energy retailers offer different deals for gas and electricity. There are many energy offers available but it can be hard to know which is the best deal. While price is important other things to consider are:
- how long you have to sign up for;
- fees;
- discounts; and
- other special deals (these might be called ‘incentives’).
The federal Government has created the website Energy Matters that compares energy offers of all the retailers.
Or you can go to Choice that has created a service where they will find the best deal for you. This is an independent service with no commission or kickbacks from retailers.
Energy concessions and support
Many low-income households are eligible for energy concessions and other energy supports. Energy concessions, rebates and eligibility conditions vary from state to state. Many states also offer medical heating and cooling concessions and rebates on the running costs of life support machines. Choose your state for details on concessions that may be available to you:
Community organisations
Solar energy
Community Buying Group and Moreland Energy Foundation have come together through a project called The Big Solar Switch to help charities and community organisations install solar energy and reduce bills. The initiative uses the strength of aggregated purchasing to reduce the cost and barriers of installing solar PV systems.
Energy efficiency
Wasting energy is not only inefficient, it costs you money! It can also make your workplace environment unnecessarily uncomfortable or chew up valuable and scarce resources that could be better used for other things.
In 2015 ACOSS and partners set up a website called Give Grid to support community organisations become more energy efficiency and share stories. While the website is currently inactive due to lack of funds, there are still some very useful resources for you, like these 22 fact sheets and these energy audits from 26 community organisations that identified top energy savings.
Better retail offer
Make sure you are on the best energy deal from your retailer. There are many energy offers available but it can be hard to know which is the best deal.
For small community organisations (see map for definition below) you can go to the government funded Energy Matters small business website to compare offers.
For medium and larger organisations you should talk directly to energy retailers to get a better deal.