Did you know that instead of receiving a bill in the post, you could be receiving a cheque if you play your cards right with your power provider?

Sydney dad Kurt McLachlan doesn't get a bill for his power usage. Instead, he gets what most would consider a rather welcome surprise–he gets paid!

At times, the McLachlans do not pay for power usage and instead, even get paid! Image source: wirestock on Freepik.

While most of us are struggling with the continuous rise in prices for power, McLachlan's electricity bills have, at times, totally vanished.

'In April it was 220 bucks, then 190, then 99, and this month I'm on track to receive a $50 rebate,' he said.

So how did he manage that? He's been using Amber Energy for the past five months, a power company that offers access to wholesale electricity prices.

He has been enjoying 34 cents per kilowatt-hour through wholesale feed-in tariffs.

The basic concept behind a feed-in tariff is to offer a fixed, premium price for the electricity generated from renewable sources like solar, ensuring that the producers of such energy receive a guaranteed income for a specified period of time.

'When we get the peak solar, I'll go from a $20 to $50 rebate to $500 or $600 a month,' McLachlan shared.

How does it all work?

The traditional energy model involves the generation of energy, which then enters the grid. Then, retailers buy it from wholesalers before selling it to consumers at individually fixed prices.

Amber Energy, however, takes retailers out of the equation, providing customers with direct access to wholesale energy prices with a monthly subscription fee of $19.

Moreover, through their app and automated software, it is easier to track when wholesale prices are lowest which is the best time to buy, and when they are highest which is the best time to sell. This gives users freedom on when to use power to maximise their savings.

‘It creates an option for people to take advantage of that and make it cheaper for themselves,’ Chris Thompson, Co-Founder of Amber Energy, said.

But there's a catch–accessing wholesale energy sure seems exciting, but tying yourself to fluctuating prices can be a bit risky. If the wholesale energy price soars, guess what happens to your bill?

However, Thompson assured: ‘We've got protections in place to make sure we guarantee customers never pay over a certain price in a given quarter to be able to offer that sort of security and peace of mind.’

The benefits to households without solar or batteries are certainly there, however households with solar or batteries will benefit the most.

‘It looks good on paper, but if you're not ticking all the boxes, it may not be right for you,’ Compare the Market's Philip Portman said.

While Amber does offer energy below the default market offer, Portman said exploring your options has its advantages:

'Right now, Glowbird is offering a plan which is 18-per-cent below the default offer, there's Ampol which is about 17-per-cent and Origin which is also around 17-per-cent.'

You can watch the full report below:

​

Remember that this is not personal financial advice–the information provided here is general. It's crucial to consider your personal circumstances prior to making any financial decisions.

If you want to know more, you can read this article for more information on investing in batteries for solar panels.

You can also check this article to see if you are eligible for Energy Rebates!

Key Takeaways

• Sydney resident Kurt McLachlan has been receiving rebates instead of bills due to using wholesale electricity provider Amber Energy.
• Amber Energy provides access to wholesale energy prices and charges a monthly subscription fee of $19.
• Amber also offers software that enables home batteries to buy energy when prices are at their lowest and sell when they're at their highest.
• While wholesale energy can be cheaper, fluctuations in wholesale energy rates can mean significantly fluctuating bills.
• Amber claims to have protections in place to guarantee customers never pay over a certain price in a given quarter.

Members, what are your thoughts on this topic? How are you managing your energy bills lately? Do you have any money-saving tips or advice you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments below!

 

[Countryjohn]

I’m from country south Australia and got sucked in by promises of having the provider buy electricity we generated. After installation and we started to put excess back into the grid the price of power increased by our excess didn’t give us any more money.
I don’t trust power companies any more than politicians. Going green coast is a lot of money for almost no return. Going green, forget it. This system sounds a little complicated if we have to but at certain prices etc My question is why do prices fluctuate. Is there more s tax on sunlight causing the price change?

 

[Rob44]

I’m from country south Australia and got sucked in by promises of having the provider buy electricity we generated. After installation and we started to put excess back into the grid the price of power increased by our excess didn’t give us any more money.
I don’t trust power companies any more than politicians. Going green coast is a lot of money for almost no return. Going green, forget it. This system sounds a little complicated if we have to but at certain prices etc My question is why do prices fluctuate. Is there more s tax on sunlight causing the price change?

Precisely why I won't go"green". $13 000quote for fitting solar panels, no subsidy form gov't through taxation across the nation except handouts and lousy roylaties in return from the gas and coal companies. God knows what per unit from the power company and only 5cents per unit if I sell them my solar-generated energy. Some friends got in a long long time ago and got an initial contract that returned 28c per unit, but I am damned if I'll gave the power company electricity at 5 cents a unit to sell to someone else at God knows what per unit. Bloody privatised power companies.

If the power company bought roof-top solar power at the price we had to pay them for the same amount, that would be fine. I'd commit to going solar, but it all boils down to money.

 

[Countryjohn]

Preciselt why I won't go"green". $13 000quote for fttng solar panels. God knows what per unit fro the power company and only 5cents per unit if I sell them energy. Some fireds got in a long long time ago and got contract that returned 28c per unit, but I am damned of I'll gave the power company electricity at 5 cents a unit to sell the someone else at God knows what per unit. Bloody privatised power companies.

If the power company bought roof-top solar power at the price we had to ay them for the same amount, that would be fine. I'd commit to going solar, but it all boils down to money.

I have never been a real believer in climate change, global warning and all the other fancy names its been given. We went for panels with the hope of saving money. In saying im not a believer in climate change I do believe in some recycling, picking up our rubbish and not clearing too much vegetation. The Amazon rain forest has been clearing forest at hundreds of acres a day for the last 40 years. At the rate of clearance versus jungle to be cleared at my reckoning they finished clearing it about 8 years ago. More BS from greenies. To me this climate change is grossly and even more grossly exaggerated. One of the worlds leading aauthorities came out and said the rate that we are trying to go green in this country is going to cost us trillions of dollars in the next few years which is completely unrealistic. We account for a fraction of the pollution. China and I ndia being the worst of all. I have just returned from a year in the Philippines and the rubbish is everywhere. Washed up on beaches and river banks. Grey water goes straight out to sea along with much of the plastic bage etc. Shampoo and lots of similiar household items are sold in plastic sachets because people cannot afford to buy a bottle of it. Plastic straws, everything ends up a lot of the time going out to sea. Most of the Asian countries are the same. Some of our spending should go to helping teach them about the sea being a rubbish dump. I think the govt has lost its way with the economy of which they appear to be doing nothing, climate change which they are going stupid about and a voice referendum that has been one of the most deceitful and lied about racist things ever in this country. And they expect all homes to be green ???????

 

[maggiej]

We too have been a bit disgusted with the return we get from our solar panels. We are only getting daytime returns at 2.25 cents per kw and at night time when there is very little return we get 10c per kw. We then pay for any excess usage at 28 cents plus we have a service charge at just over $1 per day our previous return for what we sell was 2.5cents but went down. Just how can they charge such a discrepancy.

 

[Libnotes]

Did you know that instead of receiving a bill in the post, you could be receiving a cheque if you play your cards right with your power provider?

Sydney dad Kurt McLachlan doesn't get a bill for his power usage. Instead, he gets what most would consider a rather welcome surprise–he gets paid!

View attachment 28287

At times, the McLachlans do not pay for power usage and instead, even get paid! Image source: wirestock on Freepik.

While most of us are struggling with the continuous rise in prices for power, McLachlan's electricity bills have, at times, totally vanished.

'In April it was 220 bucks, then 190, then 99, and this month I'm on track to receive a $50 rebate,' he said.

So how did he manage that? He's been using Amber Energy for the past five months, a power company that offers access to wholesale electricity prices.

He has been enjoying 34 cents per kilowatt-hour through wholesale feed-in tariffs.

The basic concept behind a feed-in tariff is to offer a fixed, premium price for the electricity generated from renewable sources like solar, ensuring that the producers of such energy receive a guaranteed income for a specified period of time.

'When we get the peak solar, I'll go from a $20 to $50 rebate to $500 or $600 a month,' McLachlan shared.

How does it all work?

The traditional energy model involves the generation of energy, which then enters the grid. Then, retailers buy it from wholesalers before selling it to consumers at individually fixed prices.

Amber Energy, however, takes retailers out of the equation, providing customers with direct access to wholesale energy prices with a monthly subscription fee of $19.

Moreover, through their app and automated software, it is easier to track when wholesale prices are lowest which is the best time to buy, and when they are highest which is the best time to sell. This gives users freedom on when to use power to maximise their savings.

‘It creates an option for people to take advantage of that and make it cheaper for themselves,’ Chris Thompson, Co-Founder of Amber Energy, said.

But there's a catch–accessing wholesale energy sure seems exciting, but tying yourself to fluctuating prices can be a bit risky. If the wholesale energy price soars, guess what happens to your bill?

However, Thompson assured: ‘We've got protections in place to make sure we guarantee customers never pay over a certain price in a given quarter to be able to offer that sort of security and peace of mind.’

The benefits to households without solar or batteries are certainly there, however households with solar or batteries will benefit the most.

‘It looks good on paper, but if you're not ticking all the boxes, it may not be right for you,’ Compare the Market's Philip Portman said.

While Amber does offer energy below the default market offer, Portman said exploring your options has its advantages:

'Right now, Glowbird is offering a plan which is 18-per-cent below the default offer, there's Ampol which is about 17-per-cent and Origin which is also around 17-per-cent.'

You can watch the full report below:

​

Remember that this is not personal financial advice–the information provided here is general. It's crucial to consider your personal circumstances prior to making any financial decisions.

If you want to know more, you can read this article for more information on investing in batteries for solar panels.

You can also check this article to see if you are eligible for Energy Rebates!

Key Takeaways

• Sydney resident Kurt McLachlan has been receiving rebates instead of bills due to using wholesale electricity provider Amber Energy.
• Amber Energy provides access to wholesale energy prices and charges a monthly subscription fee of $19.
• Amber also offers software that enables home batteries to buy energy when prices are at their lowest and sell when they're at their highest.
• While wholesale energy can be cheaper, fluctuations in wholesale energy rates can mean significantly fluctuating bills.
• Amber claims to have protections in place to guarantee customers never pay over a certain price in a given quarter.

Members, what are your thoughts on this topic? How are you managing your energy bills lately? Do you have any money-saving tips or advice you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments below!

This whole article just a big ad.

 

[Trudi]

I had a very small solar system (1.5 kW) installed when my current home in Canberra was built in 2009. I am still on a gross feed in contract at 50.05 cents per kWh produced by the panels. Gross feed in means that all power produced is fed into the grid and all electricity I use is drawn from the grid.

The cost of installation was $4,000 exactly. I have kept a record of my electricity usage and solar energy production. Since the feed in starte in January 2010, when the feed in started until the last bill my solar savings have amounted to $13,366 , or around $1,000 per annum.

If I was not planning to sell my house, I would have had an additional 5 kW system with battery installed, separately to my existing solar panels. During the daytime, the energy produced by the second system would power all appliances in the house and send the excess to the battery, then at night, I would draw from the battery. Any energy exceeding the battery capacity would be sent into the grid. Meanwhile, I would still be earning 50.05 cents per kWh from the original solar system.

 

[Leenie]

Solar is a waste our money ,when I put it on 10 years ago qld gov paid 8cents a kWh then to 6 and now I think it’s 9 . Missed out by a few weeks of getting 44 cents I think it was for 20 + . Doesn’t pay when no sun or raining . I was told it would pay for itself in 5 Years I will be lucky if it does in 18 yrs. climate is a con weather is always changing it is only natural .

 

[Trudi]

Precisely why I won't go"green". $13 000quote for fitting solar panels, no subsidy form gov't through taxation across the nation except handouts and lousy roylaties in return from the gas and coal companies. God knows what per unit from the power company and only 5cents per unit if I sell them my solar-generated energy. Some friends got in a long long time ago and got an initial contract that returned 28c per unit, but I am damned if I'll gave the power company electricity at 5 cents a unit to sell to someone else at God knows what per unit. Bloody privatised power companies.

If the power company bought roof-top solar power at the price we had to pay them for the same amount, that would be fine. I'd commit to going solar, but it all boils down to money.

What people fail to understand is that during the daytime the electrical appliances in the home are using energy generated by the solar panels! Appliances such as your fridge(s), freezer(s) and anything that is on stand by like your tv, is powered by solar! Also, turning on appliances such as the washing machine and diswasher during the daytime will also run on solar power.

Savings are not just what the power company pays you, but what you are not paying to the power company because you are using the electricity generated by the solar panels in your home instead of sending it into the grid. And those savings are at the rate the power company would be charging YOU!

Savings can be further imcreased through the use of a battery and this article outlines how some people access the wholesale power prices through their batteries by sending power into the grid when prices are highest. I have heard about this some years ago and have been intrigued by it, but it is not suitable for my solar set up.

 

[Trudi]

Solar is a waste our money ,when I put it on 10 years ago qld gov paid 8cents a kWh then to 6 and now I think it’s 9 . Missed out by a few weeks of getting 44 cents I think it was for 20 + . Doesn’t pay when no sun or raining . I was told it would pay for itself in 5 Years I will be lucky if it does in 18 yrs. climate is a con weather is always changing it is only natural .

I guess you don't use any electricity in your home during the daytime?

 

[Trouper21]

I had a very small solar system (1.5 kW) installed when my current home in Canberra was built in 2009. I am still on a gross feed in contract at 50.05 cents per kWh produced by the panels. Gross feed in means that all power produced is fed into the grid and all electricity I use is drawn from the grid.

The cost of installation was $4,000 exactly. I have kept a record of my electricity usage and solar energy production. Since the feed in starte in January 2010, when the feed in started until the last bill my solar savings have amounted to $13,366 , or around $1,000 per annum.

If I was not planning to sell my house, I would have had an additional 5 kW system with battery installed, separately to my existing solar panels. During the daytime, the energy produced by the second system would power all appliances in the house and send the excess to the battery, then at night, I would draw from the battery. Any energy exceeding the battery capacity would be sent into the grid. Meanwhile, I would still be earning 50.05 cents per kWh from the original solar system.

In April 2018 I had a 6.6kw system installed for $4500 and so far I've had credits of $3000 plus what I use each day. I know feed in tariffs are crap but I'm still saving something and better off than paying $400+ per quarter. I was screwed around by my provider when I had it put on as I had the old manual reader and it was going in reverse but the didn't want to say that they were wrong. I'm happy with what I get in credits but I think the government should get the energy providers to set the feed in credits at 30% on what they charge with no reduction for how much you put into the network.

 

[Leenie]

I guess you don't use any electricity in your home during the daytime?

I do although I don’t use a lot. ASI am a plant based person ,so not a lot of cooking . I just do my washing etc when I want not wait until mid morning to make use of solar as it makes little difference, as I said its not worth the cost and I don’t run my life around the solar system. Life is too short. My neighbours were lucky they got in when it was 44. Cents .

 

[Rob44]

I have never been a real believer in climate change, global warning and all the other fancy names its been given. We went for panels with the hope of saving money. In saying im not a believer in climate change I do believe in some recycling, picking up our rubbish and not clearing too much vegetation. The Amazon rain forest has been clearing forest at hundreds of acres a day for the last 40 years. At the rate of clearance versus jungle to be cleared at my reckoning they finished clearing it about 8 years ago. More BS from greenies. To me this climate change is grossly and even more grossly exaggerated. One of the worlds leading aauthorities came out and said the rate that we are trying to go green in this country is going to cost us trillions of dollars in the next few years which is completely unrealistic. We account for a fraction of the pollution. China and I ndia being the worst of all. I have just returned from a year in the Philippines and the rubbish is everywhere. Washed up on beaches and river banks. Grey water goes straight out to sea along with much of the plastic bage etc. Shampoo and lots of similiar household items are sold in plastic sachets because people cannot afford to buy a bottle of it. Plastic straws, everything ends up a lot of the time going out to sea. Most of the Asian countries are the same. Some of our spending should go to helping teach them about the sea being a rubbish dump. I think the govt has lost its way with the economy of which they appear to be doing nothing, climate change which they are going stupid about and a voice referendum that has been one of the most deceitful and lied about racist things ever in this country. And they expect all homes to be green ???????

I have never been a real believer in climate change, global warning and all the other fancy names its been given. We went for panels with the hope of saving money. In saying im not a believer in climate change I do believe in some recycling, picking up our rubbish and not clearing too much vegetation. The Amazon rain forest has been clearing forest at hundreds of acres a day for the last 40 years. At the rate of clearance versus jungle to be cleared at my reckoning they finished clearing it about 8 years ago. More BS from greenies. To me this climate change is grossly and even more grossly exaggerated. One of the worlds leading aauthorities came out and said the rate that we are trying to go green in this country is going to cost us trillions of dollars in the next few years which is completely unrealistic. We account for a fraction of the pollution. China and I ndia being the worst of all. I have just returned from a year in the Philippines and the rubbish is everywhere. Washed up on beaches and river banks. Grey water goes straight out to sea along with much of the plastic bage etc. Shampoo and lots of similiar household items are sold in plastic sachets because people cannot afford to buy a bottle of it. Plastic straws, everything ends up a lot of the time going out to sea. Most of the Asian countries are the same. Some of our spending should go to helping teach them about the sea being a rubbish dump. I think the govt has lost its way with the economy of which they appear to be doing nothing, climate change which they are going stupid about and a voice referendum that has been one of the most deceitful and lied about racist things ever in this country. And they expect all homes to be green ???????

"Climate Change" has nothing to do with "belief". If you don't understand the science behind the conclusions about "Climate Change" that's one thing, but to reject them because of non-scientific "belief" and prejudice about "greenies' is just plain stupid. Sea-level rise is happening; the Antarctic and Arctic ice is melting faster than ever before. The glacier where I did my PhD research, walking to work every day across that glacier, is now a lake. And as for the Southern Ocean's currents driven from the Antarctic area, modelling has indicated that in the next 20 years they could slow by 40% which will have profound results for agriculture in the southern and quite possibly northern hemisphere as these currents are a global heat-transfer system that controls the local weather which affects local farmers and their crops and livestock.

So why don't I fit solar panels my roof? Because our world is run by bloody fools who refuse to collaborate and populations who don't believe in anthropogenic global warming and persist in driving their SUVs to the shopping centre to buy a litre of milk. It's not worth my spending $13 000 for next to no return to try to "save the world". As for SE Asian rubbish. Walk along one of Australia's arterial roads for 500 metres and count the number of plastic bottles and plastic straws and cardboard tetra-packs per metre, and then estimate how may tonnes of Australia's unnecessary waste goes into our creeks and then rivers and then sea. Just as bad as SE Asian countries with 4 times Australia's population in 1/50th of the space to live in.

 

[Trouper21]

Solar is a waste our money ,when I put it on 10 years ago qld gov paid 8cents a kWh then to 6 and now I think it’s 9 . Missed out by a few weeks of getting 44 cents I think it was for 20 + . Doesn’t pay when no sun or raining . I was told it would pay for itself in 5 Years I will be lucky if it does in 18 yrs. climate is a con weather is always changing it is only natural .

Think about what solar credits you are getting and that is a minimum of how much it would have cost you extra plus what you use during the day. Queensland is a lot sunnier than down near the Victorian boarder where I am but I have had $3000 worth of credits in 5 years and that is money that I didn't have to find to pay for my electricity and the usage during the day as well. unless you keep a record of what credits you get, you don't know how much you have saved!

 

[Trouper21]

"Climate Change" has nothing to do with "belief". If you don't understand the science behind the conclusions about "Climate Change" that's one thing, but to reject them because of non-scientific "belief" and prejudice about "greenies' is just plain stupid. Sea-level rise is happening; the Antarctic and Arctic ice is melting faster than ever before. The glacier where I did my PhD research, walking to work every day across that glacier, is now a lake. And as for the Southern Ocean's currents driven from the Antarctic area, modelling has indicated that in the next 20 years they could slow by 40% which will have profound results for agriculture in the southern and quite possibly northern hemisphere as these currents are a global heat-transfer system that controls the local weather which affects local farmers and their crops and livestock.

So why don't I fit solar panels my roof? Because our world is run by bloody fools who refuse to collaborate and populations who don't believe in anthropogenic global warming and persist in driving their SUVs to the shopping centre to buy a litre of milk. It's not worth my spending $13 000 for next to no return to try to "save the world". As for SE Asian rubbish. Walk along one of Australia's arterial roads for 500 metres and count the number of plastic bottles and plastic straws and cardboard tetra-packs per metre, and then estimate how may tonnes of Australia's unnecessary waste goes into our creeks and then rivers and then sea. Just as bad as SE Asian countries with 4 times Australia's population in 1/50th of the space to live in.

Rob44, I don't know where you are from but I see adds on TV for 6.6kw systems rebated for under $5000 and my system is the same capacity although the panels are only 275w each. Newer panels are around 375w each and can draw power on any angle and even in low light. Any feed in credits is a benefit as that is money that you don't have to pay the electricity companies for. As for the rubbish on the side of the roads, don't throw it out of your vehicle.

 

[Ozzy_ian]

I have solar on & I can supplyenought to run myhouse & another house in the quarter I had a credit to my acct of $238 this was on 20 cents per Kwh
origin then wanted to drop me to 5 cents cos they are not making a profit directly off me
but you look into the back ground they all are pushing you to get solar on & work out how much they are making
& all the excess this is also saving them from have to build a new power station too
I supply enought so I should get my power free & they can still make a profit from the other who dont put on solar
it is just total GREED from the power companies
I want to check AMBER out & if they are as good as they say I will push them with my many friends who are in the same boat as I am

Also the governments are fully to blame too they are money hungry & o sell off all our utility services so they have extram money to spend for NOW
but they can only sell it off once
& you look at the mongrels when ever they sell something they always say
" YOU WILL BETTER OFF IF IT IS IN PRIVATE HANDS "
how very WRONG
if we try to cheat as they do this is called THEFT
but if they cheat you it is then called BUISNESS
LOL
Ian

 

[Trudi]

"Climate Change" has nothing to do with "belief". If you don't understand the science behind the conclusions about "Climate Change" that's one thing, but to reject them because of non-scientific "belief" and prejudice about "greenies' is just plain stupid. Sea-level rise is happening; the Antarctic and Arctic ice is melting faster than ever before. The glacier where I did my PhD research, walking to work every day across that glacier, is now a lake. And as for the Southern Ocean's currents driven from the Antarctic area, modelling has indicated that in the next 20 years they could slow by 40% which will have profound results for agriculture in the southern and quite possibly northern hemisphere as these currents are a global heat-transfer system that controls the local weather which affects local farmers and their crops and livestock.

So why don't I fit solar panels my roof? Because our world is run by bloody fools who refuse to collaborate and populations who don't believe in anthropogenic global warming and persist in driving their SUVs to the shopping centre to buy a litre of milk. It's not worth my spending $13 000 for next to no return to try to "save the world". As for SE Asian rubbish. Walk along one of Australia's arterial roads for 500 metres and count the number of plastic bottles and plastic straws and cardboard tetra-packs per metre, and then estimate how may tonnes of Australia's unnecessary waste goes into our creeks and then rivers and then sea. Just as bad as SE Asian countries with 4 times Australia's population in 1/50th of the space to live in.

So just because people litter in Australia, you don't believe you should accept responsibility for your own carbon footprint? We can't control what other people are doing, but we can control what we are doing.

 

[Rob44]

Rob44, I don't know where you are from but I see adds on TV for 6.6kw systems rebated for under $5000 and my system is the same capacity although the panels are only 275w each. Newer panels are around 375w each and can draw power on any angle and even in low light. Any feed in credits is a benefit as that is money that you don't have to pay the electricity companies for. As for the rubbish on the side of the roads, don't throw it out of your vehicle.

I don't throw rubbish out of vehicle; many others do. Thanks for the heads up about the cost of solar panels. That $13 000 quote was about 4 years ago.

 

[Rob44]

So just because people litter in Australia, you don't believe you should accept responsibility for your own carbon footprint? We can't control what other people are doing, but we can control what we are doing.

Yes we can control what we are doing. But why bother when our ALP is subsidising gas and coal production for major corporations using our tax take that should be helping people in our schools and public hospitals etc? Or the LNP building a $750 million AFL stadium on Hobart's waterfront using our taxpayers' money. As for EVs etc, why produce them when we could all control our carbon footprints by using public transport in the manner we used it every day in the UK to go anywhere. We didn't have a car until 1961; a car was a luxury. We also used milk bottles delivered by EV from a central dairy and returned for sterilisation after se and our laundry, together with everyone else's was collected once a week by a central laundry company so economy of scale saved our power. My first car I bought when I was 28 years old, not 16. I used a bicycle until then. Etc Etc Etc. So yes, our carbon footprints stayed somewhat less than those of most in Australia today.

 

[Trouper21]

I don't throw rubbish out of vehicle; many others do. Thanks for the heads up about the cost of solar panels. That $13 000 quote was about 4 years ago.

Quote from local suppliers are always a lot higher than you see on TV. I know Alan Border advertisers for one of them and are around $4-5k