I was thinking of using replacing the lights after one rep knocked on my door, but I am undecided which company to use.
Do you have any positive experience with any of the companies mentioned in the list here:
https://www.victorianenergysaver.vic.gov.au/save-energy-and-…
Thanks for your thoughts in advance!
I’m not in Victoria but I just had this done the other day in Sydney using accredited power saver who also services Victoria according to your list.
Was a far more pleasant experience than I was expecting. The sparky who came did not try to up sell me on anything, just very politely and efficiently changed out my 20+ downlights and was off. He also arrived pretty much bang on when he said he would.
I got them all changed for free LED ones under the govt program, however it was an awkward experience.
This teenager wearing sports clothes turned up with a clipboard, then went around holding a box of new light bulbs while he directed a much older man (who looked like he was about to retire and struggled to lug his ladder around) into each room to count the lights together, write it down, and order him to remove and replace each one. Some of them were stuck and took a while to get out.
The teen was making mobile phone calls on and off throughout it all and almost whispering, and I started to feel quite uncomfortable about him looking around at everything in each room.
Three bulbs died within a few weeks and I actually had a follow-up call. They said they will send someone around to replace them but a year later no one has.
This program has just got to be one of the most ridiculous government initiatives I've seen - if they want to give away energy efficient bulbs, just have an online portal where I can enter what bulbs I have and they can be sent out to me and I'll install them.
Can't help but feel that a lot of these pop-up firms doing this are just taking advantage of the influx of government money, are just hiring low-skilled labour for the cheapest possible dime and taking a handsome cut. The moment the government money dries up, all these guys will go bankrupt.
I had done with Energymakeover guys last year. They have good review on google and trustpilot. And they were definitely easy to deal with.
Also had energymakeovers come out.
Process was easy, contact them send them a few photos of the lights to check they qualify and do a rough count.
Guy rocks up on the day (qualified sparky) and starts replacing all the old halogen lights with new plug bases and led.
Cost to replace 40 halogens with new plug bases and LEDs was about $500 about 25% of the cost of going to a sparky. Just the plug bases would be another $1000 so far cheaper to do it this way.
Would recommend doing it, not just for the lower electricity costs but having a subsidy for an upgrade is the way of an OzBargainer. If you dont like the units they supply, take them out and purchase new ones it will still be cheaper seeing as though they replace hardwiring with plugbases its plug and play from that point onwards.
But in answer to your question yes energymakeovers was great and the units they supplied were pretty good (ic rated so can put insulation straight on top, 3 colour options, good colour range (cant remember the technical term bit was greater than 80% etc)).
I have had a couple fail, they just come out and replaced the units no problem.
Have a look here for ideas…