Rising electricity bills are a constant headache for many of us, with the cost of living in Australia continuing to grow rapidly.

This has led to some of us transforming into detectives, investigating how on Earth our power bills could balloon so fast. Sadly, there are cases when the increase is so incremental that it can take time to pinpoint the source of the issue.

Enter Kirstie, a Queensland mum who, with her family, had consistently gotten monthly electricity bills in the $250-$300 range for the past eight years across four different homes.

So when the power bill shot up to a cap-busting $550 one month, Kirstie was understandably shocked and determined to get to the bottom of it.

It didn’t take long for her to identify the cause. The culprit? Her daughter.

‘I nearly died when our last bill came in at just over $550. I called, and it wasn't an estimate,’ Kirstie shared.

'My partner mentioned my daughter had been having longer showers–but I honestly hadn't noticed, what's a few extra minutes?'

It turns out her daughter’s longer showers meant that their electrical water heating system was running more than was ideal!

Not surprisingly, Kirstie decided to take action to avoid this happening again, so she set time limits of at most 10 minutes for all showers in the home.

The quick fix worked wonders–the following month, the family’s electricity bill was back down to $198, resulting in an impressive $350 savings.

Kirstie managed to decrease her household's electricity bill by $350 in one month. Credit: Facebook

Impressed by how the simple change had made such a significant difference quickly, Kirstie shared her story on a popular social media group, encouraging others to do the same.

One user commented, 'I can double wash my hair, put a treatment in, wash my body and shave in 10-15 minutes–and that’s long for me. I have no idea how to make the kids get out faster.'

'We have a timer in the bathroom, or my kids will stand there for an hour or more if allowed,' another parent said.

However, another mum also acknowledged that there might be more happening here when family members were taking longer showers.‘I'm all for being water-wise and super conscious of electricity costs–but I take super long showers when my mental health is in the gutter,' she shared. 'There could be deeper reason a lot of your kids are doing this, reach out to them.'

Key Takeaways

• A Queensland mum cut $350 off her family's monthly electricity bill by imposing a 10-minute shower limit.
  
• The sudden increase in the bill was attributed to her daughter's longer showers, which put the electric hot water system into overdrive.
  
• Her post on a social media group has prompted other families to consider limiting shower times to combat rising utility costs.
  

On the topic of saving money, cutting back on power bills isn’t just limited to taking shorter showers. This can also be done though steps like reducing the number of laundry loads, batch cooking meals, and reducing screen time on the good ol’ telly. Click here to find out more!

So don’t forget to set a timer if the shower is running too long, or opt for a cool shower instead. It’s a great habit to get into, not just for the savings but also for the environment.

Do you have more tips on how to save on utility costs, dear members? Share them in the comments below!

 

[Witty]

Years ago, here in Victoria during one of our droughts, the State Government gave every household a 3 minute stick on egg timer. It is surprising just how quick a shower can be. I can wash my hair and myself in that time. If you have kids taking too long - turn the hot water on somewhere else in the house - with luck they will suddenly end up with a cold water shower,

 

[JKM_Storyteller]

The article is rather misleading.

It states that:

The quick fix worked wonders–the following month, the family’s electricity bill was back down to $198, resulting in an impressive $350 savings.​

Well now, the previous bill was for $513.04. Note that the consumer had $40 more than that in payments made, so for the next month, they are already $40 in credit.

The new bill was $321.95. That's a saving of $191.09 on the full amount of the new bill.

With $83.41 in new credits applied to the latest bill (usually credits and discounts provided by the provider), the $321.95 bill was reduced to $238.54.

So the total net saving from the previous bill for $513.04, after the $83.41 in discounts and credits are applied to the new bill (for $321.95), is $294.40.

The figure shown as owing for the new account- $198.54 - is what is actually owing after the provider applies the $40 credit that was left over from the previous month's over-payments.

There was never ever a $350 saving.

I believe it is important that if you are going to write this sort of article, that you must get the math correct, and you must also stress that things like provider-supplied credits and discounts are specific to an individual and cannot be used/applied to another individual's account as gospel.

To do so is unconscionable, and can lead to people feeling confused and dissatisfied with their own providers if they do no see the same discounts in their accounts.

So please take far greater care when publishing this sort of article in future, please.

Jess

 

[Keswickian]

The article is rather misleading.

It states that:

The quick fix worked wonders–the following month, the family’s electricity bill was back down to $198, resulting in an impressive $350 savings.​

Well now, the previous bill was for $513.04. Note that the consumer had $40 more than that in payments made, so for the next month, they are already $40 in credit.

The new bill was $321.95. That's a saving of $191.09 on the full amount of the new bill.

With $83.41 in new credits applied to the latest bill (usually credits and discounts provided by the provider), the $321.95 bill was reduced to $238.54.

So the total net saving from the previous bill for $513.04, after the $83.41 in discounts and credits are applied to the new bill (for $321.95), is $294.40.

The figure shown as owing for the new account- $198.54 - is what is actually owing after the provider applies the $40 credit that was left over from the previous month's over-payments.

There was never ever a $350 saving.

I believe it is important that if you are going to write this sort of article, that you must get the math correct, and you must also stress that things like provider-supplied credits and discounts are specific to an individual and cannot be used/applied to another individual's account as gospel.

To do so is unconscionable, and can lead to people feeling confused and dissatisfied with their own providers if they do no see the same discounts in their accounts.

So please take far greater care when publishing this sort of article in future, please.

Jess

Well done Jess. $513.04 minus $238.54 = $274.50. That's the saving.

 

[LorelleD]

Rising electricity bills are a constant headache for many of us, with the cost of living in Australia continuing to grow rapidly.

This has led to some of us transforming into detectives, investigating how on Earth our power bills could balloon so fast. Sadly, there are cases when the increase is so incremental that it can take time to pinpoint the source of the issue.

Enter Kirstie, a Queensland mum who, with her family, had consistently gotten monthly electricity bills in the $250-$300 range for the past eight years across four different homes.

So when the power bill shot up to a cap-busting $550 one month, Kirstie was understandably shocked and determined to get to the bottom of it.

It didn’t take long for her to identify the cause. The culprit? Her daughter.

‘I nearly died when our last bill came in at just over $550. I called, and it wasn't an estimate,’ Kirstie shared.

'My partner mentioned my daughter had been having longer showers–but I honestly hadn't noticed, what's a few extra minutes?'

It turns out her daughter’s longer showers meant that their electrical water heating system was running more than was ideal!

Not surprisingly, Kirstie decided to take action to avoid this happening again, so she set time limits of at most 10 minutes for all showers in the home.

The quick fix worked wonders–the following month, the family’s electricity bill was back down to $198, resulting in an impressive $350 savings.

View attachment 27259

Kirstie managed to decrease her household's electricity bill by $350 in one month. Credit: Facebook

Impressed by how the simple change had made such a significant difference quickly, Kirstie shared her story on a popular social media group, encouraging others to do the same.

One user commented, 'I can double wash my hair, put a treatment in, wash my body and shave in 10-15 minutes–and that’s long for me. I have no idea how to make the kids get out faster.'

'We have a timer in the bathroom, or my kids will stand there for an hour or more if allowed,' another parent said.

However, another mum also acknowledged that there might be more happening here when family members were taking longer showers.‘I'm all for being water-wise and super conscious of electricity costs–but I take super long showers when my mental health is in the gutter,' she shared. 'There could be deeper reason a lot of your kids are doing this, reach out to them.'

Key Takeaways

• A Queensland mum cut $350 off her family's monthly electricity bill by imposing a 10-minute shower limit.
• The sudden increase in the bill was attributed to her daughter's longer showers, which put the electric hot water system into overdrive.
• Her post on a social media group has prompted other families to consider limiting shower times to combat rising utility costs.

On the topic of saving money, cutting back on power bills isn’t just limited to taking shorter showers. This can also be done though steps like reducing the number of laundry loads, batch cooking meals, and reducing screen time on the good ol’ telly. Click here to find out more!

So don’t forget to set a timer if the shower is running too long, or opt for a cool shower instead. It’s a great habit to get into, not just for the savings but also for the environment.

Do you have more tips on how to save on utility costs, dear members? Share them in the comments below!

Keep the hot water on overnight only heating - if they use it up it's cold showers thereafter for the day.

 

[Kudjela]

My kids grew up on tank water and had a 3 minute timer.
Water is not a luxury, nor is it to be wasted.
$300 more in power because parents don't care how long their kids shower for. Good.

 

[Jakepuss]

Rising electricity bills are a constant headache for many of us, with the cost of living in Australia continuing to grow rapidly.

This has led to some of us transforming into detectives, investigating how on Earth our power bills could balloon so fast. Sadly, there are cases when the increase is so incremental that it can take time to pinpoint the source of the issue.

Enter Kirstie, a Queensland mum who, with her family, had consistently gotten monthly electricity bills in the $250-$300 range for the past eight years across four different homes.

So when the power bill shot up to a cap-busting $550 one month, Kirstie was understandably shocked and determined to get to the bottom of it.

It didn’t take long for her to identify the cause. The culprit? Her daughter.

‘I nearly died when our last bill came in at just over $550. I called, and it wasn't an estimate,’ Kirstie shared.

'My partner mentioned my daughter had been having longer showers–but I honestly hadn't noticed, what's a few extra minutes?'

It turns out her daughter’s longer showers meant that their electrical water heating system was running more than was ideal!

Not surprisingly, Kirstie decided to take action to avoid this happening again, so she set time limits of at most 10 minutes for all showers in the home.

The quick fix worked wonders–the following month, the family’s electricity bill was back down to $198, resulting in an impressive $350 savings.

View attachment 27259

Kirstie managed to decrease her household's electricity bill by $350 in one month. Credit: Facebook

Impressed by how the simple change had made such a significant difference quickly, Kirstie shared her story on a popular social media group, encouraging others to do the same.

One user commented, 'I can double wash my hair, put a treatment in, wash my body and shave in 10-15 minutes–and that’s long for me. I have no idea how to make the kids get out faster.'

'We have a timer in the bathroom, or my kids will stand there for an hour or more if allowed,' another parent said.

However, another mum also acknowledged that there might be more happening here when family members were taking longer showers.‘I'm all for being water-wise and super conscious of electricity costs–but I take super long showers when my mental health is in the gutter,' she shared. 'There could be deeper reason a lot of your kids are doing this, reach out to them.'

Key Takeaways

• A Queensland mum cut $350 off her family's monthly electricity bill by imposing a 10-minute shower limit.
• The sudden increase in the bill was attributed to her daughter's longer showers, which put the electric hot water system into overdrive.
• Her post on a social media group has prompted other families to consider limiting shower times to combat rising utility costs.

On the topic of saving money, cutting back on power bills isn’t just limited to taking shorter showers. This can also be done though steps like reducing the number of laundry loads, batch cooking meals, and reducing screen time on the good ol’ telly. Click here to find out more!

So don’t forget to set a timer if the shower is running too long, or opt for a cool shower instead. It’s a great habit to get into, not just for the savings but also for the environment.

Do you have more tips on how to save on utility costs, dear members? Share them in the comments below!

Go outside to the water meter, turn it off for a 45sec stop!
That will settle them down.

 

[Gsr]

When our daughter was younger and living at home her dad would sometimes go out and turn the hot water off at the tank to give her the hint she was using too much. Used to work pretty good.

 

[Trudi]

$320 for one month is still a huge amount!

 

[jsan]

320 for one month is that correct? I just received my latest bill and it’s for 10 weeks which left me with a 37 dollar credit and that’s after all the government credits were applied

 

[Cheezil]

Rising electricity bills are a constant headache for many of us, with the cost of living in Australia continuing to grow rapidly.

This has led to some of us transforming into detectives, investigating how on Earth our power bills could balloon so fast. Sadly, there are cases when the increase is so incremental that it can take time to pinpoint the source of the issue.

Enter Kirstie, a Queensland mum who, with her family, had consistently gotten monthly electricity bills in the $250-$300 range for the past eight years across four different homes.

So when the power bill shot up to a cap-busting $550 one month, Kirstie was understandably shocked and determined to get to the bottom of it.

It didn’t take long for her to identify the cause. The culprit? Her daughter.

‘I nearly died when our last bill came in at just over $550. I called, and it wasn't an estimate,’ Kirstie shared.

'My partner mentioned my daughter had been having longer showers–but I honestly hadn't noticed, what's a few extra minutes?'

It turns out her daughter’s longer showers meant that their electrical water heating system was running more than was ideal!

Not surprisingly, Kirstie decided to take action to avoid this happening again, so she set time limits of at most 10 minutes for all showers in the home.

The quick fix worked wonders–the following month, the family’s electricity bill was back down to $198, resulting in an impressive $350 savings.

View attachment 27259

Kirstie managed to decrease her household's electricity bill by $350 in one month. Credit: Facebook

Impressed by how the simple change had made such a significant difference quickly, Kirstie shared her story on a popular social media group, encouraging others to do the same.

One user commented, 'I can double wash my hair, put a treatment in, wash my body and shave in 10-15 minutes–and that’s long for me. I have no idea how to make the kids get out faster.'

'We have a timer in the bathroom, or my kids will stand there for an hour or more if allowed,' another parent said.

However, another mum also acknowledged that there might be more happening here when family members were taking longer showers.‘I'm all for being water-wise and super conscious of electricity costs–but I take super long showers when my mental health is in the gutter,' she shared. 'There could be deeper reason a lot of your kids are doing this, reach out to them.'

Key Takeaways

• A Queensland mum cut $350 off her family's monthly electricity bill by imposing a 10-minute shower limit.
• The sudden increase in the bill was attributed to her daughter's longer showers, which put the electric hot water system into overdrive.
• Her post on a social media group has prompted other families to consider limiting shower times to combat rising utility costs.

On the topic of saving money, cutting back on power bills isn’t just limited to taking shorter showers. This can also be done though steps like reducing the number of laundry loads, batch cooking meals, and reducing screen time on the good ol’ telly. Click here to find out more!

So don’t forget to set a timer if the shower is running too long, or opt for a cool shower instead. It’s a great habit to get into, not just for the savings but also for the environment.

Do you have more tips on how to save on utility costs, dear members? Share them in the comments below!

TV stays off, all standbys are off, washing/laundry once per week & COLD water only, vacuum once per month (use battery electric dust buster instead of vac), wood heating, gas cooking & gas hot water (tho lpg has skyrocketed in price recently as well so twice wk baths only now) Not happy gas is being phased out (great to have hot water & cooking, heating etc when no power or run out of wood)
My power cost around $60-$80 per month

Cant afford solar & prob don't need it either