Power Bill

[QldKev]

I've come to the conclusion that women cost a lot to run!

Just wondering what kind of tarrifs everyone is paying? In Tassie they are:

Standard residential rates

Light and Power Tariff 31
Fixed Charges 89.145 /day
Energy Rate (all units) 25.132 /unit

Note: Curtilage conditions may apply

Hot Water Tariff 41
Fixed Charges 17.266 /day
Energy Rate (all units) 15.157 /unit

The Aurora Heating Discount (HydroHeat) (hot water and space heating)* - Tariff 42
Fixed Charges 17.266 /day
Energy Rate (all units) 15.157 /unit

* a minimum output of 3.5 kW in the main living area applies for space heating under HydroHeat.

OffPeak with afternoon boost period Tariff 61
Fixed Charges 21.878 /day
Energy Rate (all units) 12.202 /unit

* available for a period of at least 9 hours between 8pm of every day and 7am of the following day and 2 hours between 1pm 4.30pm of every day.

OffPeak, night period only Tariff 62
Fixed Charges 21.878 /day
Energy Rate (all units) 11.492 /unit

With the fixed charges, just by having the power connected is costing around $120 a quarter.

Cheers,

Morrie

You should not need all tarrifs connected at once?

Up here we only have one elec provider

Network Area: ERG-ERG-RES-QLD - last updated 1/07/2011
I only have tariff 11 connected.

Electricity 11 (peak) Tariffs Rates in cents
with GST
Supply charge 28.8 c/day
Usage 22.759 c/kWh

About $102 a year for the supply charge, and then the usage.

QldKev

 

[Pennywise]

Enery Australia are the ones that run enerygywatch aren't they?

 

[Yob]

had an epic energy fail yesterday... after using my CC STC1000 for the HLT on sunday I decided it was quicker to use one from a currently unused fridge, set it to 1 and off I went to work..

Forgot to plug in the CC fridge and got home to discover it had been running the 'unused' fridge with the door open all day <_< about 3/4 of an inch of ice on the back of the fridge... Brew in the CC fridge sitting comfortably on 20.1

Facepalm!!

Note: Reset STC following the brew without fail.

Gunna add a goodly whack to my next bill methinks... Sigh

 

[QldKev]

had an epic energy fail yesterday... after using my CC STC1000 for the HLT on sunday I decided it was quicker to use one from a currently unused fridge, set it to 1 and off I went to work..

Forgot to plug in the CC fridge and got home to discover it had been running the 'unused' fridge with the door open all day <_< about 3/4 of an inch of ice on the back of the fridge... Brew in the CC fridge sitting comfortably on 20.1

Facepalm!!

Note: Reset STC following the brew without fail.

Gunna add a goodly whack to my next bill methinks... Sigh

You wont notice the fridge extra usage on the power bill from one day.

Say the fridge runs on 200w x 10hrs for the day = 2000w
2000w @ 25c kwh (max) = 50c
No need to sweat it out B)

 

[HBHB]

A few years back, we built our dream home. Excessively oversized to cater for the non-stop procession of family & friends visitors and a theatre with a 100" screen just for me to retreat to to enjoy a cold beer and a movie or 4. What we didn't think about was the insane costs of powering the place, though we went energy saver lights in 90% of the house and we did go gas hot water and cooking.

We were forking out $670-$900 per quarter on electricity even when we were power Nazi's and usage was way above the average according to the power bill.

However, 6 months ago we stuck a 6Kw solar system on the roof. Interestingly, the week that was installed, we also added 3 more fridges to our collection. 1 for lagering, another Kegerator and another large one because the latest and greatest in fridges for the kitchen simply doesn't cut it when there's 10 or 12 extra people in the place.

Here's the catch - Our power usage has dropped substantially on the bill. In fact it's went down by nearly 40% plus the solar rebate takes us into credit.

Looking closely at it, since we've been pretty liberal since the solar installation and with a lot of family/friends staying, i'm thinking that the first few years we were running on a faulty meter which was over reading. Impossible to prove.

If there's some cost effective way of having a meter checked to ensure it's values are correct, then i'd certainly be doing it.

Martin

 

[Airgead]

A few years back, we built our dream home. Excessively oversized to cater for the non-stop procession of family & friends visitors and a theatre with a 100" screen just for me to retreat to to enjoy a cold beer and a movie or 4. What we didn't think about was the insane costs of powering the place, though we went energy saver lights in 90% of the house and we did go gas hot water and cooking.

We were forking out $670-$900 per quarter on electricity even when we were power Nazi's and usage was way above the average according to the power bill.

However, 6 months ago we stuck a 6Kw solar system on the roof. Interestingly, the week that was installed, we also added 3 more fridges to our collection. 1 for lagering, another Kegerator and another large one because the latest and greatest in fridges for the kitchen simply doesn't cut it when there's 10 or 12 extra people in the place.

Here's the catch - Our power usage has dropped substantially on the bill. In fact it's went down by nearly 40% plus the solar rebate takes us into credit.

Looking closely at it, since we've been pretty liberal since the solar installation and with a lot of family/friends staying, i'm thinking that the first few years we were running on a faulty meter which was over reading. Impossible to prove.

If there's some cost effective way of having a meter checked to ensure it's values are correct, then i'd certainly be doing it.

Martin

What's probably happened is the switch to time of day metering has reduced your bill. Take a look at the KWh used. That will probably be the same or higher but the bill will have come down.

On a standard tariff, all power costs you around (depending on state etc) 24c/KWh. 24x7. So power at midnight costs the same as power at mid day. Off peak is on a separate meter so only stuff wired into that meter (by law - hot water systems only) gets the offpeak rate.

On time of day, the tariff varies from about 40c/KWh at peak times to 12c/KWh on the shoulders (usually 7pm-10pm and 5am-8am) and right down to 6c/kwh off peak.

Your usage may well be highest in shoulder and off peak times so your power is cheaper than before.

Cheers
Dave

 

[QldKev]

<<snip>>

If there's some cost effective way of having a meter checked to ensure it's values are correct, then i'd certainly be doing it.

Martin

With Ergon you can get a meter test. If the meter is at fault there is no charge. I can't remember how much it is if the meter is tested good, but it was not that much.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

Actually, in local situations, it is more than economically viable - it is profitable at the moment. Due to Govt subsidised feed-in tarifs and the rising price of electricity (tipped to double in the next 3 years), it is affordable to go down the solar PV route.

Granted, on a global scale, it is currently unsustainable due to the resources required to provide every household with panels and inverters, but hey - it works at my house! I have 4.2KW on the roof and just got a cheque for $200 from Origin for the last quarter. Even factoring in rainy days, short winter days, etc, at current feed-in rates, the system will pay for itself in 6 years or so. And that's running 5 fridges and a tank pump. After that, I'll be making a profit.

The savings from installing solar PV are more than the interest you would pay on the loan for the system, so it makes no sense NOT to have solar PV if you live in a sunshine-rich country. Obviously if you live in a deep valley or your roof is covered in shade all day or you live in melbourne it's a different story h34r:

Cheers - Snow.

if you don't mind me asking, how much was your PV system all up?

 

[Nick JD]

The latest thermoelectric stuff being developed will beat photovoltaic in both cost and efficiency. Next couple of years it looks like we really will have something to equal burning coal.

Photovoltaics days are numbered due to cost and low efficiency.

 

[Batz]

The latest thermoelectric stuff being developed will beat photovoltaic in both cost and efficiency. Next couple of years it looks like we really will have something to equal burning coal.

Photovoltaics days are numbered due to cost and low efficiency.

It has to be cheap to beat burning coal but I hope it does. Just give me a few more years of work first hey?

batz

 

[Batz]

Someone posted a Chinese plug into a power socket inverter back in the thread, has anyone have more info on these?

batz

 

[booargy]

grid tie inverter
The panels, batteries, wind turbines get wired in to them then plugged into a power point. If the grid goes dead they disconnect. I have only read about them in Renew magazine. But I will be setting up a system in the next couple of months to run my fridges.

Don't worry about coal. Steel can't be made without it is where the carbon comes from. Stupid thing is eventually we won't have the raw materials to make it. As we dig up our country and ship it overseas. China sits on their reserves.

 

[Snow]

A few years back, we built our dream home. Excessively oversized to cater for the non-stop procession of family & friends visitors and a theatre with a 100" screen just for me to retreat to to enjoy a cold beer and a movie or 4. What we didn't think about was the insane costs of powering the place, though we went energy saver lights in 90% of the house and we did go gas hot water and cooking.

We were forking out $670-$900 per quarter on electricity even when we were power Nazi's and usage was way above the average according to the power bill.

However, 6 months ago we stuck a 6Kw solar system on the roof. Interestingly, the week that was installed, we also added 3 more fridges to our collection. 1 for lagering, another Kegerator and another large one because the latest and greatest in fridges for the kitchen simply doesn't cut it when there's 10 or 12 extra people in the place.

Here's the catch - Our power usage has dropped substantially on the bill. In fact it's went down by nearly 40% plus the solar rebate takes us into credit.

Looking closely at it, since we've been pretty liberal since the solar installation and with a lot of family/friends staying, i'm thinking that the first few years we were running on a faulty meter which was over reading. Impossible to prove.

If there's some cost effective way of having a meter checked to ensure it's values are correct, then i'd certainly be doing it.

Martin

My understanding is that the power you use during the day is fed directly by your PV system and any excess is bled off into the grid. The power you use from the PV system is not metered on the retailer's meter, so won't show up on your quarterly bill. At night (and low sunlight days) you are using grid power, which will show up. This is why your bill figures make it look like you are using less power per quarter.

Anyway, I think that's what's happening. Depending on your inverter, you might be able to get your generation figures from your inverter report, average it out for the quarter, then subtract the feed-in amount from your bill, add the bill's grid usage numbers, and this will give you your total power usage for the quarter.

Cheers - Snow.

 

[QldKev]

grid tie inverter
The panels, batteries, wind turbines get wired in to them then plugged into a power point. If the grid goes dead they disconnect. I have only read about them in Renew magazine. But I will be setting up a system in the next couple of months to run my fridges.

Don't worry about coal. Steel can't be made without it is where the carbon comes from. Stupid thing is eventually we won't have the raw materials to make it. As we dig up our country and ship it overseas. China sits on their reserves.

What has that got to do with saving power?

If you have an inverter you generate power yes,

but all that thing is adding is a surge protector, it aint going to save/generate any more energy
And since it is only 87% efficient you will be wasting 13% of the power you generate

 

[Batz]

Don't worry about coal. Steel can't be made without it is where the carbon comes from. Stupid thing is eventually we won't have the raw materials to make it. As we dig up our country and ship it overseas. China sits on their reserves.

I don't mine coal, I fix caol power power stations.

batz

 

[Batz]

What has that got to do with saving power?

If you have an inverter you generate power yes,

but all that thing is adding is a surge protector, it aint going to save/generate any more energy
And since it is only 87% efficient you will be wasting 13% of the power you generate

Cheers Kev

batz

 

[geoffd]

Sorry Father but these days more people believe climate change is crap than believe otherwise. (Refer Newspoll, Galaxy and Nielsen) To stop exporting coal is to have an entire economy collapse with thousands and thousands of people unemployed overnight. There is no clean energy jobs to pick even a small fraction of them up, particularly those without many skills. The so called clean energy jobs particulalry those in manufacturing with be offshore. This is because we won't have cheap power anymore which was the only advantage our manufacturers had. With all due respect over my dead body!

Hi Rowy, I'm happy to believe that mother nature can take care of Co2 regulation, question is how many species, including our own will survive the climate volatility. the vast majority of dinosaurs didnt survive whatever mother nature threw at them. global warming will only begin when the polar caps (the ice cubes in the drink) have pretty much melted, we may or may not see that in our lifetimes.

Co2 is a distraction from all the far worse pollutants that are not being properly regulated or taxed, I more want to see coal & oil use reduced for it's chemical impact than for it's Co2 production, organic farming & restoring the health of soil is carbon capture in itself as a byproduct. bring back the glass milk bottle etc.

I understand your poll arguement, humans are rather self destructive, they're happy to have a job in the coal mines in Gippsland even though there are markedly higher respitory & cancer illnesses in the area, 99% can be wrong. most probably why nobody ever agrees with me

Personally I'd like demand reduction over supply restriction; to see population reduction via the end of subsidised population growth, no govt assistance after the first child until we get back to a reasonable population of about a billion worldwide. As soon as I become world leader I will bring this in with a back up plan of forced sterilisation after first child if it isnt proving effective enough

 

[Batz]

Hi Rowy, I'm happy to believe that mother nature can take care of Co2 regulation, question is how many species, including our own will survive the climate volatility. the vast majority of dinosaurs didnt survive whatever mother nature threw at them. global warming will only begin when the polar caps (the ice cubes in the drink) have pretty much melted, we may or may not see that in our lifetimes.

Co2 is a distraction from all the far worse pollutants that are not being properly regulated or taxed, I more want to see coal & oil use reduced for it's chemical impact than for it's Co2 production, organic farming & restoring the health of soil is carbon capture in itself as a byproduct. bring back the glass milk bottle etc.

I understand your poll arguement, humans are rather self destructive, they're happy to have a job in the coal mines in Gippsland even though there are markedly higher respitory & cancer illnesses in the area, 99% can be wrong. most probably why nobody ever agrees with me

Personally I'd like demand reduction over supply restriction; to see population reduction via the end of subsidised population growth, no govt assistance after the first child until we get back to a reasonable population of about a billion worldwide. As soon as I become world leader I will bring this in with a back up plan of forced sterilisation after first child if it isnt proving effective enough

I agree with ya !

batz

 

[geoffd]

I agree with ya !

batz

unless we can find 99 to disagree that makes me wrong, you've jinxed me Batz

 

[Batz]

Hi Rowy, I'm happy to believe that mother nature can take care of Co2 regulation, question is how many species, including our own will survive the climate volatility. the vast majority of dinosaurs didnt survive whatever mother nature threw at them. global warming will only begin when the polar caps (the ice cubes in the drink) have pretty much melted, we may or may not see that in our lifetimes.

Co2 is a distraction from all the far worse pollutants that are not being properly regulated or taxed, I more want to see coal & oil use reduced for it's chemical impact than for it's Co2 production, organic farming & restoring the health of soil is carbon capture in itself as a byproduct. bring back the glass milk bottle etc.

I understand your poll arguement, humans are rather self destructive, they're happy to have a job in the coal mines in Gippsland even though there are markedly higher respitory & cancer illnesses in the area, 99% can be wrong. most probably why nobody ever agrees with me

Personally I'd like demand reduction over supply restriction; to see population reduction via the end of subsidised population growth, no govt assistance after the first child until we get back to a reasonable population of about a billion worldwide. As soon as I become world leader I will bring this in with a back up plan of forced sterilisation after first child if it isnt proving effective enough

I agree with ya !
We also all own cars, fridges, plasmas, air-conds and buy washing powers, bleach, fly sprays. Not having a go at you, believe me I'm with you 100%, we are permuculture self sufficiency hippies, but you need to pay the government in money to live in this country, self suffciency requires you to earn money.

batz