Discover the ingenious trick a woman is using to slash her electricity bills!
- Replies 3
As electricity prices continue to rise, many people are looking for clever ways to save money on bills.
Now, one Aussie mum has shared her simple trick for keeping her electricity bills down—and it’s one you probably haven’t heard before.
Taking to social media, Amber Paul shared her money-saving tip, and it all started with her taking a closer look at her bill.
'Maybe this is really obvious to everybody but me, but I have just discovered a way to save so much money on our electricity bill,' Amber began.
‘If you look at your bill, you will have a peak charge and an off-peak charge. So, what it doesn’t tell you on the bill is that the peak is between 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., seven days a week.’
‘During that six-hour peak, electricity costs double what it costs at any other time of day,’ she said.
Her video garnered mixed reactions from social media users.
One person was grateful for the knowledge, commenting: ‘I didn’t know that, thank you for that information.’
Another person affirmed her trick, saying: ‘I work in an energy company and the number of people that don't know this is crazy. Also, make sure you pool pump/spa, anything else that consumes.’
‘Our parents have been doing this our whole lives,’ a third user shared.
Meanwhile, some were not convinced of its effectiveness. A person wrote: ‘This a great tip for those in the same location/set up. However, this doesn’t apply to everyone and can vary with state, distributor and individual property.’
‘Not everyone has both options,’ a fifth user pointed out.
But others were determined not to walk away without learning.
‘I think the lesson is to check your bill properly to see when your peak and off-peak are. Everyone is different depending on who your provider is,’ another user said.
What is an off-peak rate?
Off-peak electricity pertains to the reduced and discounted pricing for electricity during particular periods of the day, typically coinciding with times when residential and commercial energy consumption is lower.
According to Finder energy expert Mariam Gabaji, off-peak times vary per location and distributor.
For example, Ausgrid designates its peak hours from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays during the summer season and from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays during the winter season.
On the other hand, the off-peak timeframe spans from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., while the shoulder period falls between the peak and off-peak hours.
For times and rates applicable in your case, please check with your service provider through their official website or customer service channels.
Your eligibility for off-peak rates also varies and will depend on the type of your meter and its configuration.
Gabaji stated: ‘To be able to get a time-of-use tariff, you need to have a smart meter or a time-of-use meter because the retailer needs to know how much energy you’re using during different periods of time.’
Consumers may call their energy retailer to inquire if they can sign up for a time-of-use tariff.
How can I save money using the off-peak rate?
Aussies with off-peak prices can save by shifting their electricity usage to off-peak times. This includes running appliances like dishwashers, washing machines and dryers during the off-peak times.
But again, this may not apply to everyone, especially considering outside factors like temperature.
‘One thing to keep in mind is that 40 per cent of energy use goes into heating and cooling. So, that might be harder to control because if you are feeling really hot and you need to turn the air-con on, you won’t think about off-peak periods,’ Gabaji explained.
She also said Australians can save money by regularly comparing energy plans to make sure they are getting a good deal for their area, as well as thinking about upgrading old energy-inefficient appliances.
You can watch Amber’s video here:
Perhaps this is the perfect time to inspect your electricity bills and ask your distributor if you can take advantage of those off-peak times!
What do you think of this story, members? Did you know about off-peak rates? Let us know in the comments below!
Now, one Aussie mum has shared her simple trick for keeping her electricity bills down—and it’s one you probably haven’t heard before.
Taking to social media, Amber Paul shared her money-saving tip, and it all started with her taking a closer look at her bill.
Amber Paul shared a technique on how to save money on electricity. Credit: @amberpaul.3/TikTok
'Maybe this is really obvious to everybody but me, but I have just discovered a way to save so much money on our electricity bill,' Amber began.
‘If you look at your bill, you will have a peak charge and an off-peak charge. So, what it doesn’t tell you on the bill is that the peak is between 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., seven days a week.’
‘During that six-hour peak, electricity costs double what it costs at any other time of day,’ she said.
Her video garnered mixed reactions from social media users.
One person was grateful for the knowledge, commenting: ‘I didn’t know that, thank you for that information.’
Another person affirmed her trick, saying: ‘I work in an energy company and the number of people that don't know this is crazy. Also, make sure you pool pump/spa, anything else that consumes.’
‘Our parents have been doing this our whole lives,’ a third user shared.
Meanwhile, some were not convinced of its effectiveness. A person wrote: ‘This a great tip for those in the same location/set up. However, this doesn’t apply to everyone and can vary with state, distributor and individual property.’
‘Not everyone has both options,’ a fifth user pointed out.
But others were determined not to walk away without learning.
‘I think the lesson is to check your bill properly to see when your peak and off-peak are. Everyone is different depending on who your provider is,’ another user said.
What is an off-peak rate?
Off-peak electricity pertains to the reduced and discounted pricing for electricity during particular periods of the day, typically coinciding with times when residential and commercial energy consumption is lower.
According to Finder energy expert Mariam Gabaji, off-peak times vary per location and distributor.
For example, Ausgrid designates its peak hours from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays during the summer season and from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays during the winter season.
On the other hand, the off-peak timeframe spans from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., while the shoulder period falls between the peak and off-peak hours.
For times and rates applicable in your case, please check with your service provider through their official website or customer service channels.
Your eligibility for off-peak rates also varies and will depend on the type of your meter and its configuration.
Gabaji stated: ‘To be able to get a time-of-use tariff, you need to have a smart meter or a time-of-use meter because the retailer needs to know how much energy you’re using during different periods of time.’
Consumers may call their energy retailer to inquire if they can sign up for a time-of-use tariff.
How can I save money using the off-peak rate?
Aussies with off-peak prices can save by shifting their electricity usage to off-peak times. This includes running appliances like dishwashers, washing machines and dryers during the off-peak times.
But again, this may not apply to everyone, especially considering outside factors like temperature.
‘One thing to keep in mind is that 40 per cent of energy use goes into heating and cooling. So, that might be harder to control because if you are feeling really hot and you need to turn the air-con on, you won’t think about off-peak periods,’ Gabaji explained.
She also said Australians can save money by regularly comparing energy plans to make sure they are getting a good deal for their area, as well as thinking about upgrading old energy-inefficient appliances.
You can watch Amber’s video here:
Perhaps this is the perfect time to inspect your electricity bills and ask your distributor if you can take advantage of those off-peak times!
What do you think of this story, members? Did you know about off-peak rates? Let us know in the comments below!
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