Gas and Electricity

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  RandomNinja on 09/12/2011 - 10:17

  +2

  You should get it.

  PS: More details would help eg: State, preference on solar?

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  ESEMCE on 09/12/2011 - 10:26

  There's some good comparison sites around.. in my experience they tend to over-estimate usage (unless you plug in your own usage numbers which you're unlikely to have of course), but then again, my wife and I apparently use well under the average (although frankly I don't understand how people can use so much more than us, it's not like we live in the dark on dry food with no electronic entertainment!

  I've gone with Origin Energy cause I choose to purchase Green Power and they offer VERY good pricing on 50% Green, at least with my usage pattern.
  For me the Origin 50% works out cheaper than the competitors lame 10% green offerings and around the same as Origin's 25% Green offering (where they charge you $1/week extra).. ie I pay less than 14c/day (~$50/year) more for 50% green power, it's really not that expensive!

  • 

    gmail92 on 09/12/2011 - 12:27

    once again, ive worked in the electricity industry. how do you know your electricity is 'green'?

    what makes your electricity any better than your neighbours?

    or is it just the concept of giving them money because they have a few wind and solar generators around the place?

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      ESEMCE on 09/12/2011 - 13:04

      +1

      My electricity is the same as my neighbors, I'm well aware of that. But would those extra Wind/Solar generators exist if it were not for people like me? Maybe, but I think probably not.

      I would like to think that the extra money does indeed go toward the company's investment in Wind/Solar that helps to increase the ratio of that power source in the mix of power that is sent through the grid.

      My understanding of the arrangement is that infrastructure older than 10 years is not counted toward the Government Accredited Green energy output purchased by the retailer. As such, my small contribution extra is going toward the continual increase (or at least maintaining the current level if the lifespan is only 10 years) of new Green generators.
      Maybe the government regulated minimum requirement (if there is such a thing) for Green energy is above the level of Green energy bought by "suckers" like me? I don't know… I'm willing to hear more though.

      At barest minimum, I'm voting with my wallet for the retailer to increase Green energy production!
      If everyone buys "black" energy, where's the incentive to decrease Coal use (apart from the Carbon tax, which looks unlikely to ever get more than started before it's shut down by Abbott)?

      Even if you're a Climate Change denier, you surely can't be a "Burning coal and pumping millions of tonnes of soot, sulfur dioxides and radon into the atmosphere is a good idea" supporter?
      Burning Coal is more than just creating CO2 and I'm definitely of the mind that we should be rapidly looking for alternatives to Coal at any cost! In this case, the cost is minimal and within my budget.

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      retiredfeline on 02/03/2012 - 10:31

      The electrons are green. :)

      But seriously, green suppliers are required to account that every kWh of green electricity supplied comes from accredited sustainable sources.

      Incidentally CO2 an issue or not, coal is very likely on the way out for electricity generation. In recent news: China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology unveiled its five-year plan over the weekend, saying it anticipates the cost of solar PV to fall to around 0.8 yuan per kilowatt hour (11.8c/kWh) by 2015 and to 0.6 yuan (8.8c/kWh) by 2020. At that point, it anticipates the cost of solar to be cheaper than the wholesale cost of coal. (Note: This is the Chinese government speaking, not the solar lobby).

      Another success story is Germany: Market research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan believe Germany will see 36 percent of its electricity generated by renewable sources by 2020. Germany had set a consumption target of 35% by 2020 and 80% by 2050.

      Fortunately (or not) there is still no substitute for coal for iron, steel and cement making.

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  Gotham15 on 09/12/2011 - 10:28

  dodo

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  gmail92 on 09/12/2011 - 12:24

  your state is really important, ive worked in the electricity industry and melboune is A MILLION times more competitive than sydney.

  they even pricematch rates in melboune, something sydney will never do.

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  neil on 09/12/2011 - 13:35

  +1

  http://www.ozbargain.com.au/wiki/list_of_price_comparison_si…

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  chloden on 02/03/2012 - 10:16

  Is there a Government backed comparison website, and if so does anyone know which one it is?

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  roughana on 29/05/2012 - 23:54

  I've just found Origin Energy to be very competitive in Sydney.
  http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/69872#comment-889070