Electricity prices are on the rise, what you can do to reduce the cost

The rising price of energy doesn't come as a surprise to most as it's slowly but surely been rising for the past few years. What may come as a shock however is the fact that energy retailers have been running ineffectual hardship programs that have seen more and more Victorians disconnected from power in the last year.

Over 60,732 customers had their power cut due to rising prices and their inability to pay up in the last financial year. It seems that energy retailer-led hardship programs are not supporting customers who are facing these payment problems.

The power price continues to rise, with a 16% jump in price last financial year which in turn caused a rise of 21% increase in power disconnections. Read the full energy hardship report.

In an effort to combat this, the Victorian government has implemented a suite of energy reforms to drive down power prices such as a regulated, non-discounted default power price. While this is a positive step in the right direction towards helping customers manage their electricity bills, there are still measures that can be taken to further reduce bills.

How can you lower your energy bills?

By taking small steps to reduce electricity usage in your home, you could save yourself a surprising amount of money.

Ensuring your electrical system is energy efficient, is a good start to reducing your power bills. 1st Call Electrical's experienced electricians have compiled a list of simple steps to take, to ensure your home is the most efficient it can be.

• By simply switching off lights, air conditioning units or fans when you’re not using them in the home you can actually reduce energy bills by a significant amount.
• The best way to reduce energy consumption is to ensure you have switched your light bulbs to energy-efficient bulbs such as LED styles.
• Ensure your home is properly insulated, this will reduce energy bills as you won't need to keep adjusting the thermostat to keep warm or cool.
• Update any old appliances that are not energy efficient such as old hot water systems as these tend to use a lot of excess power.
• Invest in the future by installing solar panels which will allow you to also become a more environmental household and harness the power of natural energy

First Call Electrical are able to help you replace and install any power-saving appliances to kick start saving on your energy bills, simply fill out this booking form or give one of the licensed electricians a call on 1300 016 671.