Looking for an Electricity Comparison in Melbourne? Find a Better Deal and Make the Switch!

Electricity Comparison Melbourne

Post on June 13th, 2015

Electricity Comparison Melbourne – The Smart Way

It’s no secret that prices in Melbourne are rising across the board; rent, food, and utility costs are all going up. But while we can’t help you with your food and rent costs, we can give you a few pointers on how to reduce your electricity costs—and the first step is to do an electricity comparison. That’s where ElectricityWizard comes in: if you’re on the lookout for an electricity comparison in Melbourne, you can take advantage of our free service with a no-obligation quote.

1,000,000 customers across Australia have used our helpful electricity comparison service to help them quickly locate great options. Cheaper electricity and gas rates may be available to you right now.

What is the best part? If you’re looking for an electricity comparison in Melbourne, our service is quick, easy, and absolutely free. Just call us directly at 1300 359 779 or fill out the form below for more information. We look forward to speaking with you!

Comparing electricity companies and prices is the first step to getting cheaper rates, and seeing your electricity costs go down. You’ll be able to save money on power, and have more money to put towards things you actually care about.

It sounds simple, doesn’t it? Cut the money you spend on your utilities and save money. But how do you actually do that?

We can help you with that. But if you’re the type of person who prefers to do it yourself, we’ll get into that in more detail below.

Beat the cost of Melbourne life by reducing your electricity rates

While many Australians consider Melbourne to be the most liveable city in the nation, research has confirmed that it is 50% more expensive than living in New York City! To put it simply, living in Melbourne is expensive.

Some experts blame the strong dollar for putting a strain on Australian budgets, given the fact that five of the capital cities in the nation have become more expensive to live in than top cities worldwide like Berlin, Hong Kong, and London. As a result, it may come as no surprise to you that Melbourne was listed as the eighth most expensive city in the world, ranked just behind Sydney in the most recent World Cost of Living Survey.

Basic necessities like a loaf of bread in Melbourne have doubled in price in the past 10 years. While the cost of living in Melbourne remains high at $2052 a month for a 900 square-foot furnished apartment in a more expensive neighbourhood in the city, power prices continue to rise to make monthly utilities even more unaffordable.

The monthly cost for heating, electricity, and gas for two people in a 900 square-foot apartment is a whopping $191 in Melbourne.

For most individuals and families, these expensive energy prices are simply unacceptable. When you add to that the fact that the cost of living in Melbourne has risen across the board, making food, petrol, and housing more expensive, it’s time for renters and homeowners to take matters into their own hands.

If you want to lower rising power prices, it can start with an electricity comparison in Melbourne. ElectricityWizard works as an energy broker using a national database to calculate tariffs that are unavailable to the general public.

You can take advantage of our expert guidance by calling us directly today for an electricity comparison in Melbourne. One of our skilled customer service representatives will walk you step-by-step through the process to compare and make the switch to potentially save hundreds of dollars per year!

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Get a better deal on your electricity bills

Here’s how we recommend you get a better deal on your electricity bill. First of all, get your last couple of bills and find out how much your household uses. Flick to the last page of the bill or so, and you’ll find your usage. Electricity companies are required to include an energy consumption graph on your bill, which shows the amount of electricity you used on that billing cycle, and how much you’ve used for the year in total.

You can use this graph to work out your average electricity usage habits, such as when you use the most electricity, and whether your use is increasing, decreasing, or staying roughly the same. You should also be able to find out how much your current energy retailer is charging you.

Now, your charges are made up of a few things:

• • Kilowatt-hour usage: This is the basic rate for electricity that you’re getting charged, and is usually listed in kilowatt-hours (kWh), or “units”.

 

• • Supply Charge: This is what you get charged to be connected to the electricity grid. Also known as a “service to property charge”, this gets charged to you at cents per day.

 

• Network Charge: Your retailer may also throw in a network charge to your electricity account. Sometimes labeled as a “distribution charge”, this is what you pay to help maintain the poles and wires in your area.

Another key thing to note is that tariff that your household falls under. Your tariff is basically the pricing structure for your specific electricity plan. You’ll usually find a few common types of tariffs:

• Single rate tariff. Under this tariff, you get charged one set rate per electricity unit, no matter the times you use your electricity.
• Time of use tariff. This tariff sees you charged a different rate depending on the time of day that you use your electricity. This normally means a higher rate during the day and early evening (“peak” hours), and a lower rate overnight and early in the morning (“off-peak” hours).
• Block rate tariff. On a block rate tariff your electricity use gets charged per ‘block’; normally at a higher rate for the first set amount (or ‘block’), then lower for the next block, and so on.
• Controlled load tariff. A controlled load tariff is a specific meter for large draw, single-use appliances, like your electric hot water system, or pool pump. This appliance gets charged outside of your regular electricity charges, and you can have more than one controlled load tariff operation from your property.

Now that you understand what you’re getting charged for, you can use this information to better understand the charges that other companies are offering. Now it’s time to compare electricity providers so you can find a cheaper deal. Here are some of the things we look at when doing an electricity comparison for energy suppliers in Melbourne.

1. 1. Look at the charges. Much like when looking over your plan, have a look at the basics of each plan that you shortlist. Make note of what they’re charging per unit, what tariff you’ll be under, the supply charge, and the other fees that might make up your monthly bill.

 

1. 1. Check the length of the contract, and make sure it suits you. You don’t want to lock yourself into a multi-year contract when all you really need is one or two, or vice versa. Be sure to check this information before you sign into anything.

 

1. 1. Is the supplier going to increase their rates in the near future? The majority of suppliers tend to keep their rates in line with the general cost of living, but there are some retailers that will tell you that they don’t cap their rate rises. If you find one of these, we recommend you avoid going with them, as this can mean that they’re planning on hiking their rates up in the near future—and that’s not going to give you much of a saving, is it?

 

1. 1. Are there fees for disconnection, moving house, or breaking contract? Big life changes like moving house are stressful and expensive at the best of times, and the last thing you want is to be hit with a surprise fee. So find these out before they happen, so you know what you’re getting into.

 

1. 1. Do they have payment options that suit you? You might still work with Bpay, or you may prefer direct debit; either way, check to see that your supplier offers a payment option that works for you.

 

1. 1. Do they have any discounts at the moment? As the Melbourne electricity market is fully contested, there’s plenty of competition on the market, so suppliers are going to do what they can to get you as their customer. With this in mind, it’s worth asking if there are any discounts available—it might be a monthly bonus, or some free movie tickets or magazine subscription, or a discounted rate.

 

1. 1. But check to make sure exactly what you’re getting the discount on. There’s quite a difference between a discount on your total bill vs your usage rates, or a monthly bill credit vs a rate percentage discount. Check to see the discount you’re getting is actually worth it before you agree to anything.

 

1. 1. Play the competition card, and ask if they’ll match or beat rates set by their competitors. With the competition available in the electricity market today, this is where you can take the power into your hands. So ask the question—if they do, you’ll be set to get a better rate, with a supplier who you’d rather go with.

 

1. And once you’ve done all this, check back in with your current supplier to see if they can offer you any discounts or special deals on what you’re currently paying. If your supplier finds out that you’re looking at making the switch, this can work in your favour and see them offer you a better rate to keep you on as their customer. After all, if you’re already looking at changing suppliers, what have you got to lose?

So as you can see, it does take a bit of work to get an electricity comparison. Melbourne, we’re here to help.

Get an electricity comparison the easy way

It’s never been easier to compare energy providers than with ElectricityWizard. Call now on 1300 359 779 and speak to an energy specialist who will help you find a deal to better meet your needs.