Premier Andrews wants to hook your home up to solar and cover half the cost.The Victorian Government has announced a $1.2b scheme to support 650,000 households taking up solar. The state has lagged the rest of the country in household solar, but this is set to change (more…)
ACCC and AEMC reports put WATTever on top
The long awaited ACCC Retail Electricity Pricing Inquiry Report was released on July 11. The ACCC took aim at retailers, networks and the lack of consistent government policy. Electricity comparison services came under scrutiny too - and rightly so! (more…)
Ausgrid Seasonal Time Of Use from July 2018
From 1 July 2018, Ausgrid have moved to seasonal Time Of Use periods. If you have a home or small businesses in Northern or Eastern Sydney, the Central Coast or parts of the Hunter region you'll soon experience a change to your 'peak periods'. This is designed to reflect the...
Electricity watchouts you need to know
Founder of WATTever David Hiley, puts a spotlight on the darker side of retailer behaviour and the practices that are giving the industry a bad name. This is the first in a series of articles about opportunities we see to "fix electricity" in the contestable electricity markets in Australia. (more…)
Electricity prices flat from July 2018 in NSW, QLD and SA
Major retailers have announced flat or slightly lower electricity prices in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia from July 2018 for households and small business. Sure, it's a welcome change after the 15-20% price increase in July 2017 which sparked a lot of anger. At the same time Australia's...
NSW and Victorian governments spending big on electricity comparison
With elections looming, it's little wonder State governments want to reduce voter frustration about rising energy prices. So, will the latest quick fixes make any difference? (more…)
Solar feed-in tariffs to fall in July 2018
Solar feed-in tariffs are expected to fall from July 1 2018 in most states. This is due to a reduction in the forward wholesale electricity prices. Forward prices are a key driver of the feed-in tariffs paid by retailers. In Victoria, the Essential Services Commission has reduced its mandated minimum...
Who has the biggest electricity discount – and why it doesn’t matter
When trying to save money many people look for the biggest electricity discount plans on offer. They figure it’s an easy way to find the best 'deal'. The trouble is when it comes to electricity you can't compare offers based on the discount rate and expect to find the cheapest...
NSW’s 7.5c solar feed-in benchmark misses the mark
NSW's Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has recently released its draft report into NSW solar feed-in tariffs for 2018-19. The draft benchmark rate is 7.5 cents per kWh. But is it a fair price for solar? (more…)
Electricity comparison services compared
What is Australia’s best electricity comparison service? There are lots of services that claim to help save you money by comparing electricity. So who does it best? We think it’s about time the tables were turned on electricity comparisons and they were compared side-by-side. (more…)