In the face of soaring energy prices, many Australians are feeling the pinch.

But for Yvonne Parker, a retired social scientist living on Victoria's picturesque coastline, her monthly power bill is a mere $80.

She achieved this by investing in energy-efficient technology and taking advantage of government subsidies.

Yvonne has created a home that is not only comfortable year-round but also immune to the rising cost of power.

Her journey to energy efficiency was inspired by her childhood memories of sweltering summers in an uninsulated brick and concrete housing commission home.

Yvonne only pays $80 for her power bills through the use of solar energy. Image source: wirestock on Freepik.

'We find it so utterly liveable that we just love it,' she said, reflecting on her current home.

Yvonne and her daughter spent approximately $10,400 of their own money and utilised $6,500 worth of state government subsidies to install solar panels, a battery, an inverter, and a heat pump.

They predict that this investment will pay for itself in about six years.

As energy prices continue to climb, more Australians are following in Yvonne's footsteps.

Over 3.4 million households and businesses now have rooftop solar, and about 185,000 of these are backed by batteries.

Meanwhile, the median annual household bill across the National Energy Market is still a staggering $1,926—a 45 per cent increase in just two years.

The government's promise to cut household power bills by an average of $275 a year by 2025 seems increasingly unlikely as prices continue to rise, with increases amounting to about $600 being reported since the pledge was made.

Wholesale power prices seem to be the main culprit for this problem—which make up about 30 per cent of a power bill—as they hit record highs in 2022 following the Ukraine war and a series of outages at Australia's coal-fired power stations.

Despite these challenges, the government remains committed to transitioning to renewable energy, with a goal of 82 per cent of Australia's electricity coming from wind, solar, and hydro by 2030.

However, this transition comes with a hefty price tag.

The Australian Energy Market Operator estimates the total cost of phasing out coal and gas-fired power stations and replacing them with renewable energy sources to be about $383 billion by 2050.

While the transition to renewable energy is expected to ultimately result in cleaner and cheaper power, the initial capital costs of building these projects and renovating the grid to accommodate them will likely result in higher power prices for some time to come.

Key Takeaways

• Power bills have risen by 45 per cent in two years, with the median annual household bill now sitting around $1,926 across the National Energy Market.
• The transition to renewable energy, such as solar, can help Australians control rising power costs, as demonstrated by Yvonne Parker, who spends less than $80 a month on her power bills.
• The Australian Energy Market Operator predicts the total costs between now and 2050 to phase out coal and gas-fired power stations and switch to renewable energy will be about $383 billion.
• Renewable energy is expected to eventually lower energy costs. However, the capital costs involved in this transition need to be paid for hence energy prices are anticipated to remain high in the short term.

What are your thoughts on the transition to renewable energy and its impact on power prices? Share them with us in the comments below.

 

[NotNats]

In the face of soaring energy prices, many Australians are feeling the pinch.

But for Yvonne Parker, a retired social scientist living on Victoria's picturesque coastline, her monthly power bill is a mere $80.

She achieved this by investing in energy-efficient technology and taking advantage of government subsidies.

Yvonne has created a home that is not only comfortable year-round but also immune to the rising cost of power.

Her journey to energy efficiency was inspired by her childhood memories of sweltering summers in an uninsulated brick and concrete housing commission home.

View attachment 36793

Yvonne only pays $80 for her power bills through the use of solar energy. Image source: wirestock on Freepik.

'We find it so utterly liveable that we just love it,' she said, reflecting on her current home.

Yvonne and her daughter spent approximately $10,400 of their own money and utilised $6,500 worth of state government subsidies to install solar panels, a battery, an inverter, and a heat pump.

They predict that this investment will pay for itself in about six years.

As energy prices continue to climb, more Australians are following in Yvonne's footsteps.

Over 3.4 million households and businesses now have rooftop solar, and about 185,000 of these are backed by batteries.

Meanwhile, the median annual household bill across the National Energy Market is still a staggering $1,926—a 45 per cent increase in just two years.

The government's promise to cut household power bills by an average of $275 a year by 2025 seems increasingly unlikely as prices continue to rise, with increases amounting to about $600 being reported since the pledge was made.

Wholesale power prices seem to be the main culprit for this problem—which make up about 30 per cent of a power bill—as they hit record highs in 2022 following the Ukraine war and a series of outages at Australia's coal-fired power stations.

Despite these challenges, the government remains committed to transitioning to renewable energy, with a goal of 82 per cent of Australia's electricity coming from wind, solar, and hydro by 2030.

However, this transition comes with a hefty price tag.

The Australian Energy Market Operator estimates the total cost of phasing out coal and gas-fired power stations and replacing them with renewable energy sources to be about $383 billion by 2050.

While the transition to renewable energy is expected to ultimately result in cleaner and cheaper power, the initial capital costs of building these projects and renovating the grid to accommodate them will likely result in higher power prices for some time to come.

Key Takeaways

• Power bills have risen by 45 per cent in two years, with the median annual household bill now sitting around $1,926 across the National Energy Market.
• The transition to renewable energy, such as solar, can help Australians control rising power costs, as demonstrated by Yvonne Parker, who spends less than $80 a month on her power bills.
• The Australian Energy Market Operator predicts the total costs between now and 2050 to phase out coal and gas-fired power stations and switch to renewable energy will be about $383 billion.
• Renewable energy is expected to eventually lower energy costs. However, the capital costs involved in this transition need to be paid for hence energy prices are anticipated to remain high in the short term.

What are your thoughts on the transition to renewable energy and its impact on power prices? Share them with us in the comments below.

That's all and good if you have around $10,000 to help set it all up. Millions of us don't as we are living way below the poverty line and will never have that kind of start up money even if we wanted to go solar.

 

[Cheezil]

My power bills are usually under $80 a month (without any concessions, I work part time) & I didn't spend anything at all on setting anything up! - no i don't have solar or wind energy, etc jus regular coal fired energy & I'm careful- i also have a wood heater (firewood costs me sweet f.a & I have lpg cooking & hot water, which has also been reasonably priced at less than $800pa- tho our stinkin Vic govt want to force/phase it out & make living costs even more unaffordable to those who earn stuff all (as they keep pushing our wages down) or are on Centrelink & I'm sick of it all!
Spending $10k on solar to "save money" seems like a con & absolutely ludicruos to me!

 

[mylittletibbies]

My bills are usually less than this and I only spent $3,999 on my 6.6kw solar system. I don't have a battery backup or a heat pump, I have an instantaneous gas hot water system
I really don't see any need to spend
that much money
Have to admit though that I am in WA, not eastern states, and I believe our energy prices are better.

 

[Lladnyl]

I believe that taking up the government's offer of "free" solar power you must sign away your power subsidy rights for a certain number of years. I do not have solar power. My electricity bills have never been over $70 a month, but I am expecting that to change with all the price hikes. I live in a free-standing house, don't use air con, never have, don't use fans, never have. I haven't been sick once since I threw out the heaters several years ago and bought an electric throw rug, thus ending years of chronic bronchitis during winter.

 

[elaine41]

I changed to a Smart Meter for my electricity a few months ago &, by being smart myself, I now have power bills of around $80/month without spending thousands of $$$s doing the job the govt should be doing i.e. providing power supply. I just changed some of my routines to take advantage of the lower priced times for elec i.e. do my washing at night or the weekend, have my hot meal in the middle of the day instead of evening when power is at highest price.

 

[mylittletibbies]

I changed to a Smart Meter for my electricity a few months ago &, by being smart myself, I now have power bills of around $80/month without spending thousands of $$$s doing the job the govt should be doing i.e. providing power supply. I just changed some of my routines to take advantage of the lower priced times for elec i.e. do my washing at night or the weekend, have my hot meal in the middle of the day instead of evening when power is at highest price.

Very clever I have never thought of that. I don't need to because I have solar, but would be a good idea for people who don't.
If you are retired, who says you have to have your main meal in the evening, you can please yourself.

 

[ToniaKisliakov]

Curious when this lady had the

In the face of soaring energy prices, many Australians are feeling the pinch.

But for Yvonne Parker, a retired social scientist living on Victoria's picturesque coastline, her monthly power bill is a mere $80.

She achieved this by investing in energy-efficient technology and taking advantage of government subsidies.

Yvonne has created a home that is not only comfortable year-round but also immune to the rising cost of power.

Her journey to energy efficiency was inspired by her childhood memories of sweltering summers in an uninsulated brick and concrete housing commission home.

View attachment 36793

Yvonne only pays $80 for her power bills through the use of solar energy. Image source: wirestock on Freepik.

'We find it so utterly liveable that we just love it,' she said, reflecting on her current home.

Yvonne and her daughter spent approximately $10,400 of their own money and utilised $6,500 worth of state government subsidies to install solar panels, a battery, an inverter, and a heat pump.

They predict that this investment will pay for itself in about six years.

As energy prices continue to climb, more Australians are following in Yvonne's footsteps.

Over 3.4 million households and businesses now have rooftop solar, and about 185,000 of these are backed by batteries.

Meanwhile, the median annual household bill across the National Energy Market is still a staggering $1,926—a 45 per cent increase in just two years.

The government's promise to cut household power bills by an average of $275 a year by 2025 seems increasingly unlikely as prices continue to rise, with increases amounting to about $600 being reported since the pledge was made.

Wholesale power prices seem to be the main culprit for this problem—which make up about 30 per cent of a power bill—as they hit record highs in 2022 following the Ukraine war and a series of outages at Australia's coal-fired power stations.

Despite these challenges, the government remains committed to transitioning to renewable energy, with a goal of 82 per cent of Australia's electricity coming from wind, solar, and hydro by 2030.

However, this transition comes with a hefty price tag.

The Australian Energy Market Operator estimates the total cost of phasing out coal and gas-fired power stations and replacing them with renewable energy sources to be about $383 billion by 2050.

While the transition to renewable energy is expected to ultimately result in cleaner and cheaper power, the initial capital costs of building these projects and renovating the grid to accommodate them will likely result in higher power prices for some time to come.

Key Takeaways

• Power bills have risen by 45 per cent in two years, with the median annual household bill now sitting around $1,926 across the National Energy Market.
• The transition to renewable energy, such as solar, can help Australians control rising power costs, as demonstrated by Yvonne Parker, who spends less than $80 a month on her power bills.
• The Australian Energy Market Operator predicts the total costs between now and 2050 to phase out coal and gas-fired power stations and switch to renewable energy will be about $383 billion.
• Renewable energy is expected to eventually lower energy costs. However, the capital costs involved in this transition need to be paid for hence energy prices are anticipated to remain high in the short term.

What are your thoughts on the transition to renewable energy and its impact on power prices? Share them with us in the comments below.

When did the lady have the solar panels and battery etc put in? How long ago? Which energy company is she with? more details please

 

[stillyoung]

Spending $10k on solar to "save money" seems like a con & absolutely ludicruos to me!

That's quite true. Solar panels degrade over time and batteries have a finite life. If the true cost of depreciation of the system is taken into account, it's a very different story.

 

[David567]

I don't know how they do this. In QLD where I live they charge $1.20 per day just for the privilidge d having the power connected. That's $108 before using any power.

 

[Ezzy]

Yvonne said she & her daughter spent $10,400 setting up the system but received a $6,500 rebate from the Government which they utilised for the batteries, inverter etc & expect this will pay for itself in six years.

Sounds like a good investment to me, even if $6,240 is added for electricity for 6 years [$80 / month X 13 months X 6 years]. (13 X 4 = 52 weeks). This will be more of course because costs rise annually but is a starting point.

 

[Shane/#]

In the face of soaring energy prices, many Australians are feeling the pinch.

But for Yvonne Parker, a retired social scientist living on Victoria's picturesque coastline, her monthly power bill is a mere $80.

She achieved this by investing in energy-efficient technology and taking advantage of government subsidies.

Yvonne has created a home that is not only comfortable year-round but also immune to the rising cost of power.

Her journey to energy efficiency was inspired by her childhood memories of sweltering summers in an uninsulated brick and concrete housing commission home.

View attachment 36793

Yvonne only pays $80 for her power bills through the use of solar energy. Image source: wirestock on Freepik.

'We find it so utterly liveable that we just love it,' she said, reflecting on her current home.

Yvonne and her daughter spent approximately $10,400 of their own money and utilised $6,500 worth of state government subsidies to install solar panels, a battery, an inverter, and a heat pump.

They predict that this investment will pay for itself in about six years.

As energy prices continue to climb, more Australians are following in Yvonne's footsteps.

Over 3.4 million households and businesses now have rooftop solar, and about 185,000 of these are backed by batteries.

Meanwhile, the median annual household bill across the National Energy Market is still a staggering $1,926—a 45 per cent increase in just two years.

The government's promise to cut household power bills by an average of $275 a year by 2025 seems increasingly unlikely as prices continue to rise, with increases amounting to about $600 being reported since the pledge was made.

Wholesale power prices seem to be the main culprit for this problem—which make up about 30 per cent of a power bill—as they hit record highs in 2022 following the Ukraine war and a series of outages at Australia's coal-fired power stations.

Despite these challenges, the government remains committed to transitioning to renewable energy, with a goal of 82 per cent of Australia's electricity coming from wind, solar, and hydro by 2030.

However, this transition comes with a hefty price tag.

The Australian Energy Market Operator estimates the total cost of phasing out coal and gas-fired power stations and replacing them with renewable energy sources to be about $383 billion by 2050.

While the transition to renewable energy is expected to ultimately result in cleaner and cheaper power, the initial capital costs of building these projects and renovating the grid to accommodate them will likely result in higher power prices for some time to come.

Key Takeaways

• Power bills have risen by 45 per cent in two years, with the median annual household bill now sitting around $1,926 across the National Energy Market.
• The transition to renewable energy, such as solar, can help Australians control rising power costs, as demonstrated by Yvonne Parker, who spends less than $80 a month on her power bills.
• The Australian Energy Market Operator predicts the total costs between now and 2050 to phase out coal and gas-fired power stations and switch to renewable energy will be about $383 billion.
• Renewable energy is expected to eventually lower energy costs. However, the capital costs involved in this transition need to be paid for hence energy prices are anticipated to remain high in the short term.

What are your thoughts on the transition to renewable energy and its impact on power prices? Share them with us in the comments below.

No point having solar on my place because the idiots playing golf can't keep their balls on the course three cars damaged from wayward ball's so how would a solar system last hmmm

 

[freedy50]

If solar is supposed to be so good, why isn't it on every house in Australia? Seems to only be on about 37.5% of household roofs.

 

[Vinylted]

I don't know how they do this. In QLD where I live they charge $1.20 per day just for the privilidge d having the power connected. That's $108 before using any power.

Same in Vic and I suspect the lady conveniently forgot to add in the supply charge! Regardless of what you do, if you live in suburbia you cannot go "off grid".

 

[GillyH]

I don't know how they do this. In QLD where I live they charge $1.20 per day just for the privilidge d having the power connected. That's $108 before using any power.

We are charged a daily fee in WA as well. We have now got alot more solar panels, a new inverter & Battery back up. Our bills have gone down alot, but the Energy suppliers still want their money.