As the cost of living continues to rise, Australians are constantly on the lookout for ways to tighten their belts and save money where they can.

One of the most significant household expenses is energy, and it's no secret that many of us feel the pinch when the power bill arrives.

However, there's good news on the horizon, as the Albanese government has announced new changes aimed at helping Australians find cheaper energy deals, potentially saving households hundreds of dollars each year.

The initiative, part of a broader effort to tackle the ‘loyalty tax’ that consumers face when they remain with the same energy provider, will require energy retailers to actively assist customers in paying less for their electricity.

This move is a game-changer for those who have felt stuck with high energy costs simply because the process of finding and switching to a better deal was too complex or time-consuming.

The Albanese government will implement changes funded with $1.8 million from the budget to assist Australians in finding more affordable energy deals. Credits: Shutterstock

Energy Minister Chris Bowen highlighted that $1.8 million from the recent budget will be allocated to fund a new system that simplifies the process of comparing energy prices.

Customers will be able to enter their details on a provider’s website with just ‘one-click’ and be presented with a better offer.

This streamlined approach is designed to empower consumers, making it easier than ever to make informed decisions about their energy consumption and costs.

‘We know households are doing it tough and we don’t want them to be paying one cent more than necessary for their electricity bills,’ Mr Bowen stated.

‘It’s a small but important initiative in the budget because it’s going to have a positive impact on bringing down the cost of living for households over the long term.’

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has previously released data indicating that around two million households are paying more for electricity than necessary.

A staggering one-quarter of customers are missing out on potential savings because they haven't switched to lower-cost plans or taken advantage of new customer deals.

With savings of up to $400 a year on the table, as suggested by the ACCC, the incentive to switch is stronger than ever.

In addition to the one-click system, the government plans to invest further in upgrading the Energy Made Easy website.

This platform will be enhanced to allow consumers to compare offers across multiple providers, ensuring transparency and ease of access to the best deals available.

The anticipation is building as households await the announcement of how much they could be charged for electricity in the next financial year.

Regulators are set to hand down their final decision on default offer prices this Thursday, May 23.

Early indications from a draft report released in March suggested that residents in NSW could see a price drop of 3 per cent from last year, with some Victorian households potentially enjoying reductions of up to 6.4 per cent.

These new prices are expected to take effect in July, marking a new financial year with the promise of more affordable energy for Australian households.

As the Albanese government introduces new measures aimed at assisting Australians in securing more affordable energy deals, attention turns towards initiatives targeting specific demographics, such as Centrelink recipients.

Amidst discussions of broader energy policy changes, the focus on providing financial relief for vulnerable groups like seniors underscores the multifaceted approach required to address the challenges of rising energy costs.

Key Takeaways

• The Albanese government will introduce changes to help Australians find cheaper energy deals through a new system funded with $1.8 million from the budget.
• Energy retailers will be required to assist customers in locating and switching to more affordable electricity options.
• An initiative to combat the so-called ‘loyalty tax’ will allow consumers to enter their details on a provider’s website and find a better offer with ‘one-click’.
• The ACCC found that around two million households are overpaying for electricity, and these changes could save households up to $400 a year by switching retailers.

Have you had any experiences with switching energy providers? Do you have tips for saving on your energy bill? Share your stories and advice in the comments below!

 

[Ann Melling]

One of the best investments I have ever made was when I installed solar panels it has cut my energy bill to zero.
I first installed 6 panels a few years later I had a extra 6 panels installed given me a 5.8KW system which I have had for several years, they cover my power usage ever since.

Do you also have Solar Hot Water or just the 12 panels?

 

[Rob44]

All politicians do favours for mates, but Albo has handed billions to billionaires at a time when the economy is going down hill fast.

No Morrison DID NOT take over MOST of the portfolios, he was given a second position in a handful of them.

He only made one decision as the second minister of a portfolio and the decision he made was correct, as both sides of the house have agreed.

It was a time when we were being warned a Pandemic was likely to disable or kill large numbers of people. Which could have resulted in ministers in critical areas being unable to perform their duties and possibly do the same to the Governor General.

Morrison's primary wrongdoing was not telling his colleagues and the Public what he was doing.

Morrison had already proved incompetent in two jobs, so he applied for the job of Prime Mnister and was selected by a majority of the Australian people, or rather the LNP who are not a majority of the Australian people. He botched handling of the Covid-19 pandemic thoroughly, as did his two LNP sidelicks in NSW.

 

[Ann Melling]

I would have thought 18 panels would have given you a credit seeing you are the only person in the house. As I said we had a credit even when we had 2 teenagers full time in the house. But having Solar Hot Water does make a difference to the electricity bill.

 

[Rob44]

Now about electrical power in Tasmania. The hydropower dams were built by a government body, the Hydro Electric Commission, which also ran the power lines and billing facility. Then some turkey of a politician decided to do the privatisation junket and the HEC got split into a mob who runs the turbines and dams, a mob that runs the power lines and another mob that runs the front-end sales and billing system. There might be two mobs that "provide" the last "service". So that is three CEOs and three boards of Directors . To add to this nonsense, there is also the Bass Strait cable through which power is sold to the mainland, and so the good folk of Tasmania who paid for the dams secure in the knowledge that Tasmania's hyydropower would become too inexpensive to sell now pay mainland prices for our hydropower. And a few years ago during a drought Tasmania sold so much hydropower to the mainland and made so much money that it had to run the coal-fired Bell Bay power station and import diesel generators to provide Tasmanians with electricity.

That incompetence takes REAL planning. You can't simply fudge it. I don' t know which mob of politicians was running Tasmania at the time, but they were idiots.

 

[Knell]

I have found the article a little confusing.

Do these parts all relate to just looking for a better plan within the same energy provider?

"The initiative, part of a broader effort to tackle the ‘loyalty tax’ that consumers face when they remain with the same energy provider, will require energy retailers to actively assist customers in paying less for their electricity.

This move is a game-changer for those who have felt stuck with high energy costs simply because the process of finding and switching to a better deal was too complex or time-consuming.

Customers will be able to enter their details on a provider’s website with just ‘one-click’ and be presented with a better offer.

Does "better offer" mean better plan with the same provider?

AS this part of the article refers to comparisons across different energy providers.

In addition to the one-click system, the government plans to invest further in upgrading the Energy Made Easy website.

This platform will be enhanced to allow consumers to compare offers across multiple providers, ensuring transparency and ease of access to the best deals available.

If in the first instance the provider has to create a link so one can compare prices with competing providers, then why the expense of doubling up with a separate system doing exactly that as described in the 2nd instance.

I do realise the whole point of this government initiative is to make the process of getting a better deal easier for consumers and that's a good thing.

Does "better offer" mean better plan with the same provider?
Yes, I believe so. My provider included a message on my bill to alert me to the fact that they now have created another plan that, based on my usage over the same period last year, would save me $324. So I changed. Previously they did not have to alert us to this fact. Suited me as I have trouble pouring through varying rates etc and usually don't check regularly...so good plan.
The second part is a made easier option on the Energy Made Easy website for checking against other providers if you want to look through others with a view to change provider. I think this the case.

 

[saundy]

Do you also have Solar Hot Water or just the 12 panels?

I only have 16 solar panels hot water system is a 1 with a heat pump that works the same as the split system it's free from the government's plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, all I had to pay for was the plumber and electrician they were in town fitting them for anyone who wanted them
I made a mistake that I just noticed and corrected, I have 16 solar panels not 12 as I said earlier I had 8 installed then after a couple of years I had the other 8 installed I apologise for my mistake

 

[Irish Al]

My tip is simply read your bill as providers have to warn you if a cheaper alternative is available , I am with Origin and they have saved me hundreds by alerting me to the best deal every quarter.

 

[Rob44]

This Albanese guy is just one big joke.Since he came into power houses to buy are out of the question for most people. Rentals are sky high and he has flooded the country with people from foreign countries without vetting them to see if they are criminals . l am not saying there are all bad .Look at all the crime all the people attacked,rapes etc it has never been so bad.He is giving this electric rebate to try and redeem his self.Sooner he is out of power the better.

House prices have been falling since mid 2023. The price rises were fired by Covid-refugees getting away from crowded cities.. The Reserve Bank cranked up interest rates after the ALP won the election. Before then they had been very low and flat. One wonders if the Reserve bank works in collusion with the LNP to help destabilise the ALP.

How many rapes etc per year have there been before Albanese became PM and after he became PM?

The sooner people stop talking rubbish the better.

 

[JimmyFlatrock]

Does "better offer" mean better plan with the same provider?
Yes, I believe so. My provider included a message on my bill to alert me to the fact that they now have created another plan that, based on my usage over the same period last year, would save me $324. So I changed. Previously they did not have to alert us to this fact. Suited me as I have trouble pouring through varying rates etc and usually don't check regularly...so good plan.
The second part is a made easier option on the Energy Made Easy website for checking against other providers if you want to look through others with a view to change provider. I think this the case.

Thanks Knell, I had a few doubts after reading the article so it's good for the knowledge confidence to know someone else thinks the same. I appreciate it. Would you mind sharing your providers name as I'm highly likely to switch shortly. You seem to have a good one and there are so many to choose from. No issues if you would rather not.

 

[JimmyFlatrock]

Now about electrical power in Tasmania. The hydropower dams were built by a government body, the Hydro Electric Commission, which also ran the power lines and billing facility. Then some turkey of a politician decided to do the privatisation junket and the HEC got split into a mob who runs the turbines and dams, a mob that runs the power lines and another mob that runs the front-end sales and billing system. There might be two mobs that "provide" the last "service". So that is three CEOs and three boards of Directors . To add to this nonsense, there is also the Bass Strait cable through which power is sold to the mainland, and so the good folk of Tasmania who paid for the dams secure in the knowledge that Tasmania's hyydropower would become too inexpensive to sell now pay mainland prices for our hydropower. And a few years ago during a drought Tasmania sold so much hydropower to the mainland and made so much money that it had to run the coal-fired Bell Bay power station and import diesel generators to provide Tasmanians with electricity.

That incompetence takes REAL planning. You can't simply fudge it. I don' t know which mob of politicians was running Tasmania at the time, but they were idiots.

That incompetence takes REAL planning. You can't simply fudge it.

Great line Rob44. I've always harboured concerns about privatisation stunts from a much earlier age. And now the proof of the pudding is definitely in the eating!

 

[Mrtnst]

Morrison had already proved incompetent in two jobs, so he applied for the job of Prime Mnister and was selected by a majority of the Australian people, or rather the LNP who are not a majority of the Australian people. He botched handling of the Covid-19 pandemic thoroughly, as did his two LNP sidelicks in NSW.

What a selective memory you have.

He won a federal election which all the polls and most of the LNP said he would lose, clearly he was selected by a majority of the Australian people.

He blocked flights from China to Australia, against the complainants of racism by The ALP and the Greens. Thus significantly reducing the number of Covid infected people arriving in the country.

He offered the Victorian government, along with all the other states, ADF support for quarantine control in Hotels and Nursing homes. Only Victoria refused the offer, which is why over 800 elderly residents died in Victorian nursing homes.

He also though jobkeeper kept many people in jobs that would otherwise have been unemployed due to state government lockdowns of industries, many of which were conducted outside. Though not one case of Covid was caught outside of a building. (Unfortunately the states didn't keep their end of the bargain and support all the businesses they shut down and the cost of paying all those workers created a huge debt)

He also stopped jobkeeper against the complaints of the ALP, and refused to pay people money to have Vaccines. Thus saving a lot of money that would have been added to the national debt, by the ALP if they had their way.

Still he did give the premiers too much authority and for that alone he will rightly remain a failed PM.

NSW had less deaths, less bankruptcy, less child suicide and less lost jobs than Victoria.


The basket case state Premier was Dan Andrews.

 

[LeahI]

One of the best investments I have ever made was when I installed solar panels it has cut my energy bill to zero.
I first installed 6 panels a few years later I had a extra 6 panels installed given me a 5.8KW system which I have had for several years, they cover my power usage ever since.

I guess you are on a rebate that is higher than costs. That's the only way to be having a zero bill with only 12 panels.
We installed 26 panels @ 10kw and because the rebate is ,11c and the cost is ,33 it's never going to cover. And if we paid out another $11k for a battery @10kw capacity we can only save at max $3.33 per day which still doesn't cover consumption. No winning.

 

[saundy]

Hi Leahi,
I am on premium feed in tariff 60 cents per kW I have had solar for many years a 5.8 KW system more than covers my power requirements I only have a small house I only heat 2 rooms kitchen and lounge the rest of the house is closed only open and close the doors when required that is the way I was bought up by my parents.
In summer I have a split system for my bedroom which I use freely as the window faces west.

I made a mistake in the number of panels I have installed I have 16 I apologise for the mistake, I had 8 installed after a while I had a a second lot of 8 installed a total of 16 gives me a 5.8 KW system. This covers all my power requirements.

A few years back there is a crew in town fitting hot water system with heat pump that works the same as the split system so I had 1 installed I had to pay for the plumber and electrician they were part of the crew.
They are fantastic hot water system as soon as it drops to a reset temperature it automatically kicks off the heat pump and heats it to the set temperature.

 

[Knell]

Thanks Knell, I had a few doubts after reading the article so it's good for the knowledge confidence to know someone else thinks the same. I appreciate it. Would you mind sharing your providers name as I'm highly likely to switch shortly. You seem to have a good one and there are so many to choose from. No issues if you would rather not.

I am with Alinta Energy. I don't know that they are currently the best price for everyone, but works for my situation. Certainly have saved a lot compared to my previous provider - Origin. I have solar so I manage use through the app and use power according to input/output info. The only expense that makes me whinge every quarter is the water services invoice.

 

[Rob44]

What a selective memory you have.

He won a federal election which all the polls and most of the LNP said he would lose, clearly he was selected by a majority of the Australian people.

He blocked flights from China to Australia, against the complainants of racism by The ALP and the Greens. Thus significantly reducing the number of Covid infected people arriving in the country.

He offered the Victorian government, along with all the other states, ADF support for quarantine control in Hotels and Nursing homes. Only Victoria refused the offer, which is why over 800 elderly residents died in Victorian nursing homes.

He also though jobkeeper kept many people in jobs that would otherwise have been unemployed due to state government lockdowns of industries, many of which were conducted outside. Though not one case of Covid was caught outside of a building. (Unfortunately the states didn't keep their end of the bargain and support all the businesses they shut down and the cost of paying all those workers created a huge debt)

He also stopped jobkeeper against the complaints of the ALP, Though not one case of Covid was caught outside of a building. Thus saving a lot of money that would have been added to the national debt, by the ALP if they had their way.

Still he did give the premiers too much authority and for that alone he will rightly remain a failed PM.

NSW had less deaths, less bankruptcy, less child suicide and less lost jobs than Victoria.


The basket case state Premier was Dan Andrews.

The LNP won the last election with a majority; Morrison, was recommended to the Governor-General as the Crown's Prime Minister by a a majority of his LNP colleagues. That is how it works.

That proves three things: the Australian electorate commonly votes against its own best interests; the LNP are collectively stupid; and the Crown no longer has the courage on behalf of the Crown's subjects to refuse a Prime Minister his recommended job.

"Though not one case of Covid was caught outside of a building". Epidemiological proof please.

""NSW had less deaths" . Statistics please, and in what period?

And by restricting access to the Covid-19 vaccine, which works, he failed a great many of those who got sick from Covid-19, which , long-term, still damages lungs, kidneys, hearts and indeed brains and is now endemic in Australia.

Hotel and nursing homes are not designed as quarantine stations and are rather inappropriate for the purpose, particularly in regard to a virus to which we have inadequate, if any, natural immunity and which is transmitted via airborne detritus from coughs and sneezes. Only a fool would think to use such accommodation as quarantine stations. Vietnam did better.

 

[Mrtnst]

Morrison was appointed to the leadership of the LNP in 2018, becoming the 45th PM. The GG has zero authority to refuse to swear him in.

Then in 2019 the population elected the Morrison lead government into office, against the expectations of the polling agencies and most of the media. Again the GG had nothing to do with it.

Yes people often do vote against their own interests, they did in 2022. Are you better off now than you were in April 2022? If you are your probably either a public servant or an union official.

This is social media not parliament, can you identify anyone who caught covid outside?

ABS Data on covid deaths
NSW 13.1 deaths per 100,000 people
VIC 15.9 deaths per 100,000 people
2020-2024


He didn't 'restrict' access, he just didn't make deals with everyone who promised that they could produce a vaccine. He did have a deal with the University of Queensland, whose vaccine had early good results, but had to be withdrawn. That's what caused delays in getting enough vaccine.

You are right Hotels aren't quarantine stations.

Unfortunately the quarantine stations on commonwealth land has been shut down decades ago and the people being quarantined at first were all inside the country already and under state/territory jurisdiction.

Which allowed the premiers, and chief ministers, to insist that they would manage quarantine within their states, at least until they totally screwed it up and then 'suddenly remembered' that it was a federal issue.

As for the nursing homes, what did you think Morrison should have done, order the states to hand over the elderly to be forcibly relocated to makeshift quarantine facilities?

The states established rules on access to the homes and then, in Victoria, Dan Andrews gave a bunch of untrained 'security guards' the role of enforcement. Despite the fact that he had been offered trained ADF personnel, who did an excellent job in every other part of the country.

 

[Rob44]

Morrison was appointed to the leadership of the LNP in 2018, becoming the 45th PM. The GG has zero authority to refuse to swear him in.

Then in 2019 the population elected the Morrison lead government into office, against the expectations of the polling agencies and most of the media. Again the GG had nothing to do with it.

Yes people often do vote against their own interests, they did in 2022. Are you better off now than you were in April 2022? If you are your probably either a public servant or an union official.

This is social media not parliament, can you identify anyone who caught covid outside?

ABS Data on covid deaths
NSW 13.1 deaths per 100,000 people
VIC 15.9 deaths per 100,000 people
2020-2024


He didn't 'restrict' access, he just didn't make deals with everyone who promised that they could produce a vaccine. He did have a deal with the University of Queensland, whose vaccine had early good results, but had to be withdrawn. That's what caused delays in getting enough vaccine.

You are right Hotels aren't quarantine stations.

Unfortunately the quarantine stations on commonwealth land has been shut down decades ago and the people being quarantined at first were all inside the country already and under state/territory jurisdiction.

Which allowed the premiers, and chief ministers, to insist that they would manage quarantine within their states, at least until they totally screwed it up and then 'suddenly remembered' that it was a federal issue.

As for the nursing homes, what did you think Morrison should have done, order the states to hand over the elderly to be forcibly relocated to makeshift quarantine facilities?

The states established rules on access to the homes and then, in Victoria, Dan Andrews gave a bunch of untrained 'security guards' the role of enforcement. Despite the fact that he had been offered trained ADF personnel, who did an excellent job in every other part of the country.

"The GG has zero authority to refuse to swear him in". Yes; most unfortunately. Ministers are still Ministers of the Crown and from that they derive their authority. We do not elect Prime Ministers; we elect political parties, even if they have been led by a former Prime Minister who has made himself leader of that party through personal qualitites /infighting/bitchiness. Australia is not yet a Presidency and the sacking of Gough Whitlam and appointment of Fraser is a valuable precedent. The Crown controls the military, Parliament votes the money; which was the arrangement agreed on in 1660 by Charles II when people had got sick of Cromwell. A long time ago, but still a valuable concept/precedent by which to run a democratic country.

As for Covid-19. There was no national policy for dealing with that, although some other countries managed. That was the first problem; Morrison was still thinking it was God's will or something in mid-March. It was quite obvious that eventually the virus would get into the island of Australia, given air transport on the scale it has become, but Morrison failed to organise a coherent, collaborative national policy in a developing national emergency as well as failing to support our international students who by 2019 were contributing 24% of the money to keep going our universities. That, added to Australia's stupid notion of user-pays-bums-on-seats model for funding universities, cost 40 000 jobs with assorted people losing their jobs in our universities, many of them researchers.

Epidemiological statistics. Thanks.

To further understand the statistics there are the numbers before and after Morrison told the virus that the pandemic is over and States opened their borders. Tasmania, an island, had had no deaths and very few infections before C-19 got introduced to the State by a traveller who had been aboard that cruise ship that had docked in Sydney and someone came from that ship into Tasmania. Fortunately, the resultant outbreak was quarantined and Tasmania remained free of C-19 until Morrison declared the pandemic to be over and the State Gov't allowed a horde of interstate fans to come to Tasmania to watch the Ashes Test Match. The Liberal Gov't of NSW certainly created problems or other States, Victoria included, by not controlling docking of that cruise ship; there was no excuse for that.

Weren't many of those Victorian nursing homes a Commonwealth responsibility?

I note your gratuitous classic Australian insult that I must be a Public Servant or a Trade Unionist. Don't waste your breath. I have simply lived in a country, the UK, where what Australians call socialism worked between 1945 and 1979 even though a good many of us could not afford to buy our 1/2 gallon/ 1/4 acre
Pavlova Paradise for 20-30 years after WW2. And I have seen what Tory Thatcherism has done to the place in the last 45 years. The country, never a "socialist paradise", is now a private enterprise shambles; Australia has been moving along that road quite successfully since Howard's era.

As for C-19 vaccines; Cuba did better,as well as sending doctors overseas to assist other countries.

 

[saundy]

Congratulations on a very well written letter says it all

 

[JimmyFlatrock]

To further understand the statistics there are the numbers before and after Morrison told the virus that the pandemic is over and States opened their borders. Tasmania, an island, had had no deaths and very few infections before C-19 got introduced to the State by a traveller who had been aboard that cruise ship that had docked in Sydney and someone came from that ship into Tasmania. Fortunately, the resultant outbreak was quarantined and Tasmania remained free of C-19 until Morrison declared the pandemic to be over and the State Gov't allowed a horde of interstate fans to come to Tasmania to watch the Ashes Test Match. The Liberal Gov't of NSW certainly created problems or other States, Victoria included, by not controlling docking of that cruise ship; there was no excuse for that.

100%.

The ABS statistics on Covid death rates also don't take into account that Victoria had to contend with a greater population density in Melbourne. Could have been what made the difference between Sydney's rate and Melbourne's.

Regarding catching Covid outdoors, I think the only one anyone is aware of was that outdoor café in Bondi. The feeling amongst some health officials is that it was happening, just less rare than indoor transmissions. It's a moot point that one said around 10% were outdoors.

 

[JimmyFlatrock]

And I have seen what Tory Thatcherism has done to the place in the last 45 years. The country, never a "socialist paradise", is now a private enterprise shambles; Australia has been moving along that road quite successfully since Howard's era.

Seems like the current crop of Tories are about to bite the dust with Rishi Sunak being considered unelectable and challenged, So much so he's running scared and has called an early election in the hope of...

His mob are struggling to govern the country with wave after wave of Industrial action taking place, Seems the worms that Thatcher worked over in her time have now turned and with a gob full of teeth gnashing away. Look out Sunak!

He's even having a crack at winning some back by doing the ever popular 'stop the boats' thingy, using Rwanda instead of Naru, but the courts don't seem to be agreeing with him. Sound familiar. Amazing how they all work off the same playbook.