Save Money: The Truth Behind Your Electricity Bill

Everyone wants to save money on their electricity bills. We all need to find ways to somehow cut some costs in our utility bills. By taking these simple steps on cutting down just a little bit on your consumption, you will see dramatic results on your electricity bill each month.

1. Turn off and switch to CFL bulbs.
It may not be very noticeable but one of the easiest ways to reduce electricity is by simply just switching off lights whenever they are not needed. Household lights are the third biggest consumers of electricity after heating and white line appliances (kitchen and laundry). You can already make a big impact on your electricity bill simply by being constantly aware of which lights are not needed.

If you have incandescent bulbs, consider changing it to compact fluorescent lights or CFL bulbs. These energy efficient lights offer a far brighter light and yet consume only a fraction of the power normally needed for an incandescent bulb.

One of the world’s biggest contributors to carbon emissions are computers. A world first and recently launched program called Little Green Genie http://www.littlegreengenie.com is a tiny piece of software for both PC and MAC that measures how much you use your computer and then calculates the amount of carbon you’re emitting as a direct result of that usage. As you use your computer the software automatically reduces your pre-purchased carbon credit. http://www.switchselect.com.au is sponsoring this world first initiative which is set to change the way computer users use their computers.

2. Unplug It!
Have you ever considered how many appliances are turned on without anyone benefiting from it? Televisions, for example, are almost always left turned on because you think you’ll be gone only for a few minutes. But these few minutes also eat electricity. So turn off your television if no one is watching. And don’t just put it in stand by mode. You should really press the power button or unplug the unit if possible. Other household appliances that are often left turned on are electric fans, radios and computers and computer monitors.

Speaking of computer monitors, did you know that these consume the most electricity? So if you are downloading something and are not really doing anything except waiting for the download to finish, then switch off the monitor! It takes less than a second to turn it on again. Remember your Little Green Genie is watching!

Do you have a cellular phone or a notebook computer? Do you leave the chargers plugged in the electrical outlet so that you can just easily plug your phone or computer whenever the battery is low? These consume electricity also. Chargers and DC adapters consume electricity even if they are not charging your batteries as long as they are plugged in the electrical outlet. Surprising but true. So unplug those chargers and adapters and save money!

3. Go Green.
If you are really serious about reducing your electricity bill, then maybe you should consider investing in renewable energy sources. While these may entail a big initial investment, the long-term savings will be worth it. Electricity generation using solar and wind energy are readily available. You will have free electricity which also translates to saving money.

It should always be remembered that reducing your electric bill does not have to mean reducing the number of electrical appliances you have at home. The rise in your electric bill is not because you have more appliances but because these appliances may not have been used wisely. Monitor your usage and make sure that everyone in the household is properly oriented on how to save electricity.

Finally, to save money on your electric bill, make sure that you are getting excellent services from your energy provider. Compare services and prices in your area. There are power companies in Australia that provide Free Green Power Accredited electricity with your energy bills. All you have to do is take a minute to check and compare their services to other providers. There are free online services like Switch Select that provide you with this convenience. www.SwitchSelect.com.au is Australia’s most awarded website that helps you compare energy, broadband, home phone and VoIP, financial services such as credit cards, home loans, savings accounts and even pay day loans! Getting a better deal is possible if you have the right tools to help you choose competitive prices in the market. This will ease you the trouble of phone inquiries and saves you a lot of time finding the best supplier that suits your needs.

To learn more about how you can access free comparative database check out
www.SwitchSelect.com.au for a free comparison service.

Queensland electricity prices at set to increase by atleast 5.38% as of the 1st of July 2008. The Queensland Competition Authority has today released their final decision on the Notified Electricity Prices for 2008-2009.

The prices will impact families in Queensland already struggling with the burden of increased mortgage rates, inflation and rising petrol prices.

Leon Hayes of Swichselect.com has stated, "Customers in South east Queenland have had a their electricity prices increase by over 16% in two years, couple that with reductions in market offer discounts, will really leave householders struggling."

The monthly connect charge for residential electricity will rise from $5.40 to $5.69 and the Tariff 11 kWh rate will rise from 14.05 cents to 14.81 cents.

Tariff 31 customers will now pay 6.04 cents / kWh up from 5.73 cents and Tariff 33 customers are set to pay 8.89 cents/kWh up from 8.44 cents in 07/08.

Nobel Peace prize goes to the environment.

The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to former US vice president Al Gore this week for his ongoing campaign to battle climate change.

Mr. Gore has stated this week that global warming is "posing a great unprecedented threat to the future of our civilisation."

He and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) chairman Rajendra Pachauri, accepted the Nobel Peace prize on behalf of the United Nations body being honoured for their work and commitment.

In Oslo to accept the prize, Mr. Gore told reporters "It is a question of the survival of our civilisation the prize has already caused increased attention to the problem of moving along to solve the crisis of climate.''

He has said of the prize that includes a diploma, a gold medal and USD1.8 million dollars (AU$2 million) that he will donate the prize money to the Alliance for Climate Protection, a campaign group that aims to cut emissions and reduce global warming.

NSW to sell off electricity companies.

It has been announced by New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma, that the state owned electricity retailers of NSW will be sold off.



The sale is expected to save taxpayers in the region of $15 billion dollars over the next 10 to 15 years. The sale will also ensure the states supply and reliability into the future.
New South Wales has three state owned retailers which will face the sale, they are Country Energy, Energy Australia and Integral Energy.



The retail arms of these businesses will be privatised, however the structural assets will remain in government ownership.
The Premiers aim is to raise the funds needed for a new baseload power station while offering existing power stations to private operators on ninety-nine year leases.


It has also been announced that the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) will continue to provide consumer protection for retail customers and regulate the states energy prices.


Leon Hayes of Switchselect.com has said the public of New South Wales should be aware that IPART will ensure that there are no sudden price hikes in the electricity market until 2013 or until such time as the government believes that there is enough competition to ensure prices are kept low.


Many companies are offering fantastic deals to retain and acquire new customers.

Queensland's wholesale electricity prices reach $10,000 per mWh.

The price limit, set by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission was hit as a result of high demand on the National Electricity Market.

The $10,000 limit which was reached for the cost of electricity in Queensland been supplied into the National Grid. Rising temperatures and increased power use are said to be the cause for the high demand.

Switchselect.com's Steven Glover said that although this price rise directly effects the wholesale market there is every possibility that if prices continue to soar, eventually retail customers will see the effects.

There has never been a better time to compare energy prices in Queensland. Customers must be aware of the cost of electricity especially at this time of the year when household energy use increases.

Mr. Glover has reported that since July this year when Full Retail Competition began in Queensland thousands of customers have made the decision to switch energy suppliers.