Stay ahead of energy prices

3 quick wins to save money on your next bill

• Find the best energy deal. Check you are on the best energy plan at Victorian Energy Compare. The website is the only free and independent online energy price comparison service for Victorians and is always the best place to find your best energy deal.
• Use an in-home display, which allows you to monitor and check your household energy use by showing the data from your smart meter. Find out more about smart meters.
• Follow our energy savings tips for the home. Did you know the easiest and most cost-effective saving you can make is to use your electric reverse-cycle air-conditioner to heat your home? It’s much cheaper than your gas heater, or other forms of heating. Make sure your system is set to the sun icon and the fan icons are on. Discover more tips on Energy.vic.gov.au.

Lock in long-term energy savings

There are a range of programs to help you lock in longer-term savings on your energy bills.

• The Victorian Energy Upgrades program, which provides access to discounted energy-efficient products. These include heating, water heating, lighting and draft sealing products. Annually, an average household could expect to save $100-$200 by upgrading their hot water system, and $150 to $600 by upgrading heating.
• Solar Victoria’s Solar Homes Program, which helps Victorians switch to solar by offering eligible households a rebate of up to $1,400 to install rooftop solar (PV), plus the option of an interest free loan to reduce up-front installation costs. Interest-free loans of up to $8,800 are also available to eligible households to support the installation of a solar battery. Switching to solar can save a typical household more than $1,000 every year on energy bills.
• Through the Residential Efficiency Scorecard, Government-accredited Scorecard assessors who are experts in home energy efficiency will provide targeted information to ensure any money you spend on upgrades leads to a cheaper to run and cosier home.

Get support if you need it

If you are having trouble paying your energy bill, there are rules under Victoria’s Payment Difficulty Framework which mean your energy company must let you know what help is available. Contact your energy company first and ask to speak to their Hardship Team to discuss your assistance options. This includes paying smaller amounts more often or delaying payment of a bill.

If you’re an eligible concession card holder, you can apply for a range of concessions to help reduce your bills.

Learn more about saving energy and money at www.energy.vic.gov.au/households.