QLD electricity customers targeted in bill scam  

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If you live in Queensland and think you’re paying too much for electricity the culprit could be a scam targeting Ergon Energy customers. Malicious emails from Pacific Gas & Electric are being sent to Ergon customers asking them to visit a website whereupon they must enter their credit card or banking details.

It should go without saying that consumers must be wary of entering any personal information online, especially financial details, but it never hurts to keep track of your utilities and we would advise all energy customers to contact their provider if they encounter any suspicious activity.

Pay attention to your bill

We encourage, as part of our pre-sales support, that customers scrutinise their electricity bill. You may think that you’re getting a decent rate per kilowatt from your provider, but for example, the charge per killowatt hour may exclude GST making your consumption 10% more than you think.

It’s worth tracking your usage over time by creating a spreadsheet of your energy usage, kilowatts consumed (on and off peak) and your bill total over time. In helping thousands of customers save money on their bills, we’ve found that, especially after having a solar power system installed, this information is invaluable to maximising your solar savings.

Many customers find that their bill amount varies depending on whether you were on holiday and using little or no eletricity, or your children were home for the holidays and the AC got an unexpected workout. Rather than ignoring their fluctations, closer examination could uncover unexpected energy usage habits that are contributing to your costs.

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Ways to lower your energy costs

Customers mostly pay attention to only one figure; amount owing. The good news is there’s plenty of ways to shrink this amount down, and it’s not as hard as you might think.

Here’s a few examples:

  • Replace your halogen lights with energy-efficient LED globes (they are cooler too!)
  • Consider energy ratings on new appliances, paying a little extra at the checkout may save you heaps over time
  • Painting your rooms bright colours can enhance available sunlight, reducing the need for indoor lighting
  • In winter, swap your electric blanket for a hot water bottle
  • Broken fridge seals kick your fridge into overdrive – replacing them is cheap and your quinoa salad will thank you for it!
  • Set your air conditioning a few degrees higher, you won’t notice much difference in temperature but can save on your energy costs

And finally…. go solar! Installing solar panels is the most empowering method of controlling your electricity bills. Generating your own power means you don’t have to sacrifice your beer fridge or run your pool filter at odd hours chasing off-peak savings.

Solar Sunwerx offers free, no-obligation energy audits so why not give us a call to see how we can help you save the solar way.