How To Save On Electricity

By: Phoebe Ackland, ellaslist

Sky-high electricity bills are not a surprise welcomed warmly by families- especially not Sydney-siders who already face hefty costs of living. It might be time to do a bit of shopping around for a new energy deal, so we've compiled a list of hints and tips to get you started.

• The Australian Government's Energy Made Easy online calculator is an awesome way to compare energy offers from gas and electricity retailers both for your home or for your small business. They also offer tips on how you can make the switch easier.
• With Mojo Power, a "low-cost energy provider" servicing NSW and Queensland, you will only be charged wholesale rates plus a monthly subscription fee, according to one clever mum on a popular social media mum's group. Just type in your address and they'll show you how much you can save with them. It's the Costco of the electricity world! 
• Many mums love Red Energy who are said to offer great discounts and rewards to customers. 
• Powershop is another secret gem: they're known for having excellent customer service, have no switching fees so you can sign up and switch providers if you're not happy, and you can track all your energy usage on the one app so you won't get any big surprise bills.
• If you're going green, Diamond Energy is supposed to be a great choice. They're experts on all things solar power, and pride themselves on their lack of hidden charges.
• We've heard good things about Alinta Energy, with many mums claiming the bills coming from them are much lower than the Energy Australia who has been handing out some particularly high ones lately. Dodo energy is supposedly easing the bill strain in many households, and they also offer great pay-on-time discounts. 
• PowerDirect has also been creating some happy energy shoppers, who offer a whopping 40% pay-on-time discount!

Household Tips For Families

Check out these tips from Resources & Energy on how to make tweaks to cut down on energy usage around the home including removing the spare fridge from your home to save hundreds of dollars each year, and dressing for colder weather indoors rather than just cranking up the heat. Download a copy here. 

They also offer the following tips and hacks:

• If you're a Centrelink client, you can arrange Centrepay to deduct small amounts from your payment to put towards your electricity bill. Alternatively, you should ask your energy retailer about payment plans and installation payments to lessen the load.
• Before you buy household appliances, check their energy star rating! You can even check with Smarter Choice Retailers to help you make your appliance decisions, and check what the running of certain items will really cost you via the Smarter Choice calculator. 
• You might be eligible for government electricity rebates! Visit the website for more information. 
• You can find more tips here. 

Ready to make the switch? Check out Choice's top energy retailer switching tips to make it a smooth transition. They say to get started early and be prepared for the process to take up to 3 months to complete, but that you shouldn't have any supply interruptions in that time if it's done properly.  

Been burnt by a whopper of an electricity bill lately? Know any clever tips, great deals or awesome providers? We want to know! Comment on Facebook.