Big things have been happening in Australia’s National Energy Market! And you don’t have to be an energy nerd to reap the benefits. Gas and power bills are both starting to go down, and cheaper bills are something that all Australians can get behind!
But what does this mean for you? Well, if you haven’t compared power and gas deals for a while, you may be on a more expensive plan. Many of us are on Default Market Offers (the most expensive plan your supplier offers). Worse still, some of us are still on Standard Offers (the most expensive that they legally CAN offer). Haven’t noticed the power and gas savings trickling down to you? Wondering if there’s a better deal out there? There probably is! Now is the time to compare power and gas, and it’s easier than you might think.
Finding a better power and gas deal
Thanks to the wonders of comparison technology, finding your best deal isn’t as hard as yo might think. You don’t need to scour through dozens of retailer websites; you don’t need to call and talk to people who get a commission for signing you onto their company. (Urgh!) There’s a lot of energy comparison websites out there, of various quality; a good one like Econnex is:
● Free to use
● Gives you dollar values (no confusing star systems – this isn’t Mario Kart)
● Clarifies the conditions of the offer
What’s the cheapest deal?
Ever gone over your data limits on your phone, and found that your $30/month plan has just cost you $300? Power and gas plans are a bit like that – they’re only cheap if you follow the conditions. So selecting the cheapest electricity and gas plans will depend on how and when you use your power. We all know people who’ll thrive on an on-peak off-peak plan:
● Your retired relative hangs out at the mall for 4 hours a day so he doesn’t have to pay for aircon
● Office workers who don’t have to worry about on-peak usage charges, because they’re not at home
● Night-shift workers who sleep through those more expensive peak hours
But for those of us who WFH and blast aircon for hours a day, those plans can get expensive. And that’s not all to consider – do you have solar? Are there late payment penalties? Is there an introductory discount, and what happens after the discount expires? Yes, there’s a lot of conditions of the contract; but getting it right can save you up to $522/year (depending on where you live). So it’s time well spent.
Want to know more? Econnex has recently created an in-depth feature article on how to get the cheapest electricity and gas plans in Australia. Knowledge is power, so check it out!