Residential

There are a multitude of reasons for rising electricity prices in Australia. One of the main ones has been the need to invest in maintaining and improving the network infrastructure in order to increase capacity in a growing population. Another factor has been the need to address environmental issues, which means minimising the use of coal plants and creating more renewable energy sources.

Proposals to keep price increases in check have included:

• Further privatisation of state government-owned electricity networks
• Adjustments to environmental policies that impact wholesale energy costs
• Further retail price deregulation
• Setting standards based on the value that customers place on network reliability

How much you’re paying for electricity and what’s causing your bill to skyrocket each month can seem like a difficult puzzle to figure out. But thankfully, there’s a simple formula to help you calculate your electricity costs from watts. All it takes is the following steps:

1. Find out how much you pay per unit of electricity. This is usually calculated in kilowatts per hour (kWh) and is typically found on your bill. There may be different rates for peak and off-peak usage.
2. Determine how much input power your appliances are using. This information is often found on the packaging or in the instruction manual in watts. Convert this to kilowatts.
3. Multiply the input power in kW by the price of your electricity per kilowatt hour (kWh). As an example, 3kW (appliance input power) x 30c per kWh (cost of electricity per hour) = 90c per hour to use that appliance.

Utilities are services that are typically required for the home or office to function, such as electricity, gas, and water. In some cases, they may also include council rates (such as street cleaning, rubbish disposal, etc.), as well as telecommunications services.

Depending on which state you live in, there may be additional taxes or levies for your utilities. For example, in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), your telecommunications bill is also considered a utility and is charged through the Utilities Network Facilities Tax.

If you’re on a pension and receive a payment from Centrelink, there may be cases where you’re entitled to a discount on your utility bills. You can find out more on the Department of Human Services website.

Renewable energy is produced from natural resources that aren’t depleted when used. It’s the preferred energy option for the future both in Australia and around the world, mainly because it won’t run out, unlike coal and other fossil fuels. As renewable energy doesn’t contribute to carbon emissions, it also won’t negatively affect climate change as significantly.

There are a variety of renewable energy sources. Solar power is one of the most well-known, wind power is one of the most widespread, and hydropower is one of the oldest. There are also other renewable technologies becoming available that harness geothermal energy or ocean energy to produce heat and electricity.

Solar power is a common form of renewable energy, generated from the sun’s heat or from sunlight. Captured through the use of solar panels, often on the roofs of residential and commercial properties, the energy produced is converted into electricity or used to heat air, water, and to power homes, businesses, and batteries.

More than two million Australian households have a solar system on their rooftop for electricity generation, although there are a variety of other ways that solar energy can be harnessed. These include:

• Hot water systems
• Cars and school buses
• Phone chargers
• Wearables
• Air conditioners
• Security cameras
• Advertising displays
• And more