Compare Energy In Victoria And Save Huge

Compare Energy Prices Victoria

Post on June 13th, 2015

If you live in Victoria, here’s how to get cheaper energy bills

If you’re sick of paying too much on your electricity and gas bills, there’s something you can do about it. You can start with a free, no-obligation electricity comparison to lock in lower rates from one of the leading retailers in your area when you compare energy prices in Victoria.

The good news is that it’s never been easier to compare electricity retailers to find more affordable rates. With the use of our free, convenient electricity comparison service, you can see what savings are out there for you. ElectricityWizard will help you to compare energy prices in Victoria, we can help you also to take advantage of cheaper rates in a matter of minutes with a quick convenient switch!

Remember, our service is absolutely free and available at no obligation to you. What do you have to lose? You could start saving money right now just by filling out the form below for more information or by calling us directly at 1300 359 779. One of our friendly customer service representatives will happily walk you step-by-step through the process of reducing costly energy bills by as much as hundreds of dollars each year. If there is a better deal there for you, we are here to help you take advantage of that deal, hassle-free.

Call us to make the switch today!

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How to compare energy prices in VIC for cheaper power bills

If you’re one of those people who prefer to do things yourself, then we want to make it easy for you in that respect, too. Here’s how we recommend you go about comparing energy prices, so you can find a cheaper rate.

Before you start though, have a look through your last couple of energy bills to see how much energy your household uses, and how much you’re paying for it. It’s important to have this base information before you go and look at what else is out there.

And one more sneaky trick—is your supplier offering you the best contract? If you’re looking at switching, ask if they’ve got any special discounts available, or if they’d be willing to offer you cheaper rates to stay on with them. It’s worth it to ask, and you may end up with a better deal in the process.

Now, let’s get into it!

1. To begin with, look through the charges for each plan. Make sure to note the rate per kilowatt hour (or “unit” rate), the tariff you’ll be under (are they charging you at a single rate? Or is it a time-of-use tariff, which sees peak and off-peak hours come into effect?), your supply charge, and any other similar charges or fees.

1. How long do you need the contract for? Make sure you’re getting a term that’s appropriate to you—it’s no good being locked into a two year contract when all you need is one year.

1. Are they going to increase their rates in the future? While most suppliers tend to increase their rates in line with the rising cost of living, some may tell you that they don’t cap their rate rises. If they tell you this, then avoid this supplier, as it means they can raise your usage rate whenever they want, and might even be planning to do it soon.

1. Are there any extra fees for moving house, disconnecting, or for exiting a contract? Knowing these fees up front lets you work out which supplier is worth it in the long-term. For example, if you find a better rate a year or more down the track, you want to be able to switch with ease, and not get slugged an exorbitant fee just for playing the market.

1. Make sure they offer a payment option that you actually use. You might like the convenience of direct debit, or prefer to pay with Bpay, or perhaps you even still use cheques… whatever way you prefer, you want to know that your supplier offers your preference.

1. Do they have any discounts or incentives that they can offer you? Being in a state with full retail competition means that electricity suppliers want to get you as their customer, so they might be willing to offer you a discount to sign up for their plan, or may even throw in some extras to sweeten the deal, like movie tickets or a subscription to your favourite magazine. So ask the question—it’s only going to benefit you.

If they do offer discounts, find out exactly what it’s for. There’s big difference between a monthly credit, a usage rate percentage discount, and a percentage off your total bill. So do the maths, and work out if the discount is actually worth it or not.

You can also get a bit cheeky here, too: ask them if they can match, or even beat, rates offered by their suppliers. With the electricity market the way it is, they might be willing to match rates to make their service seem more attractive. If they do, this gives you the opportunity to get a better deal, with a supplier that you want to go with.

From there, the Victorian Government recommends taking the following steps to make energy bills as manageable as possible.

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High bills? Find out why

Find out the reason for expensive power bills. There are a number of factors that can cause quarterly electricity bills to increase dramatically. This may have to do with upgrades to a home, changes in season, or more people living under one roof. By determining what is causing a costlier power bill, you can take proactive measures to reduce electricity consumption accordingly.

In fact, you can make the following changes right now and start to reduce your energy use immediately, at absolutely no cost to you:

- Unplug any large appliances when they’re not in use, as even in standby mode they’re using power. The dryer, washing machine, microwave, and even your TV don’t need to be turned on all the time, so turn them off at the wall now, and start saving.

- Use natural methods to cool your home. Shut the curtains, windows, and blinds, and keep out the direct sunlight—this works to stop the sun’s heat from getting in, and stops the magnification caused by your windows. When the sun goes down, just open up your windows and let the cooler night air roll in.

- Turn off the air conditioner, and flick on the fan instead. Fans use up to 80% less energy than an air conditioning unit, so the less you use it, the more you save!

- Take your clothes out of the dryer and hang them on the line instead. We’re blessed by beautiful weather here in Australia (yes, even in Melbourne), so why not make the most of it? Drying four loads of laundry outside, as opposed to in the dryer, can save you up to $150 a year on your energy bill.

- Got any extra lights on? Turn them off! Something as simple as switching off lights when you’re not in the room adds up over the year, so it’s a good habit to get into if you want to save.

Look at when you use your larger appliances. Depending on your tariff, you might be operating your bigger machines like the washer or dishwasher during peak hours, and getting charged more for it. Have a go at running these appliances later in the evening, you’ll not only save money, but potentially use them less—a double saving.

They might sound obvious, but putting these simple actions into place can go a long way to reducing your electricity use and lowering your bill. And at the end of the day, every little bit helps!

Assess your household energy use

The best way to get to the root of the issue is by assessing how and where you use energy around the house. This may help you to uncover an energy-draining appliance that could be wasting hundreds of dollars on electricity each year, such as an inefficient clothes washer or oven range.

You can use the following steps to do a quick calculation of your appliances’ energy use, and work out where your power drain could be coming from:

1. Get your latest bill and out how much you’re paying per kilowatt hour (or as they say, “unit”) of electricity.

1. Find out how much power each of your appliances uses, in kilowatts. This information is usually available on a sticker somewhere on the appliance, or in its user manual (you did keep those, didn’t you?). If the appliance’s use is rated in watts, simply divide that number 1000 to get your rating in kilowatts.

1. Get a quick estimate the hourly running cost of the appliance by multiplying its input power rating by the price of your electricity per kilowatt hour. For example, if your dishwasher uses 2000 watts per hour, and your electricity cost is 30 cents per kilowatt hour, then you can work out that this costs 60 cents per hour to run: (2000 ÷ 1000) x 30 = 60.

Estimate the average time you use each appliance. Just multiply the cost per hour by the average number of hours you use it. For example, if your dishwasher’s cycle is 30 minutes, and you run it eight times a week, then you can work it out that you pay $2.40 a week to run your dishwasher.

Even just finding out the energy use of your appliances can get you thinking about your use, and where you can do your part to save energy.

Track estimated bills

When you pay attention to regular charges on your electricity meter, you can determine if the estimated bill is accurate. In the event that an electricity charge is faulty, you have the right to contact your energy retailer directly to dispute an erroneous bill.

Compare and save today!

To start out right, begin with a quick, free electricity comparison today. You can compare electricity prices in VIC to get more affordable energy rates in a matter of minutes!

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 better deal for you!

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