Why Your Power Bill Still Hurts.

The power companies do all they can to convince us that going off the grid is not feasible, but others disagree.
Whether its economically feasible or not depends on what we predict will happen with power prices over the next, say 15 years. Based on recent experience I think we can assume annual rises of 10-15% as the squeeze on power companies caused by declining demand as consumers revolt against high charges will only get worse.
With rises of up to 15% annually for 15 years, going off the grid is looking pretty good to me.
If governments were putting the best interests of consumers ahead of their dividends from power companies they would be assisting people to go solar, not discouraging it.

I just re signed with Origin

Peak usage , up to 10.9589 kwh per day 25.135 c per Kwh including GST
off peak 1 9.19 c per kwh including GST
supply charge 79.167 cents per day including GST

On time payment discount 15%
re sign credit $50 including GST after 6 months

I looked at One Big Switch/Fifty UP Club and Iselect and both were not any cheaper for me.

regards Philip A

Our last bill 20/6/14 to 17/9/14 = 90days was $306.85 less Qld Govt.pensioner rebate $70.89 which brings it down to $259.56 :)

The rented house is a 1946-48 post WW11 hardwood weatherboard,with a corrugated iron roof (it does have a whirly on it)approx. 9sq.all light fittings are fluro,and both front and rear flood lights are LED 8w front & 15w rear the difference after removing the 150w floods is a way better power bill :D there is an elect pump from the 8000 gal.tank which feeds the toilet and washing machine,it has been a mild winter so no need for the elect heater,but we have 2 x box fans running at the moment,32Deg C outside.

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

The power companies do all they can to convince us that going off the grid is not feasible, but others disagree.
Whether its economically feasible or not depends on what we predict will happen with power prices over the next, say 15 years. Based on recent experience I think we can assume annual rises of 10-15% as the squeeze on power companies caused by declining demand as consumers revolt against high charges will only get worse.
With rises of up to 15% annually for 15 years, going off the grid is looking pretty good to me.
If governments were putting the best interests of consumers ahead of their dividends from power companies they would be assisting people to go solar, not discouraging it.

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You wait to see the electricity price here in Qld skyrocket if Campbell Newman gets his way and sell/lease ( its all the same in the end) all the utilities in Qld.
SA & Vic have the highest electricity costs in Australia and they are both private.....

Nobody seems to have mentioned the RECs. These are the major driver of tariff increases other than network renewal.
When Wind power projects are developed they negotiate a price for RECs with the Federal Government.
The distributors then have to buy the RECs to a percentage of their total throughput.
They add this cost on to the retail price of electricity.

AFAIR from reading the recent report, some RECs are 115 cents per megawatt hour, vs the total wholesale cost of electricity of about 60 to 80 cents .
This cost has to be passed on to consumers and AFAIK constitutes about 20% -30% of the increase in electricity costs.
So all of you that think that the REC debate currently in train doesn't mean anything to you should think again.
Regards Philip A

Wind power seems viable for charging batteries and pumping water when timing of its delivery is not important. However, for generating electricity directly into the mains, it is probably the scam of the century. Wind farm owners have been doing well while legislated for large effective subsidies apply but when these are cut, wind turbines will go the same way that Managed Investment Schemes did. For detailed articles see www.stopthesethings.com.

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Originally Posted by mox

Wind power seems viable for charging batteries and pumping water when timing of its delivery is not important. However, for generating electricity directly into the mains, it is probably the scam of the century. Wind farm owners have been doing well while legislated for large effective subsidies apply but when these are cut, wind turbines will go the same way that Managed Investment Schemes did. For detailed articles see www.stopthesethings.com.

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stopthesethings is not a credible source. It's just another fossil industry funded misinformation site. it's authors remain anonymous. For some balance read here:

Some facts about Stop These Things | Yes 2 Renewables

oh and

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/...srazor/4841346

The biggest concern electric companies have right now is solar and off grid. One way to save money is to put all the power hungry devices ( eg pool pump, ac, hws) on solar directly. Not off grid, but taking load off grid therefore not depending on it and associated electricity costs per kwh. There may be safety issues here, but its happening. Off grid takes the investment to another level but people are doing it more and more, sometimes with two sets of panels to have high usage devices fed directly.

[QUOTE=bee utey;2272451]stopthesethings is not a credible source. It's just another fossil industry funded misinformation site. it's authors remain anonymous. For some balance read here:

Some facts about Stop These Things | Yes 2 Renewables

oh and

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/...srazor/4841346[/QUOTE


Note the Yes2Renewables article, which is nearly 2 years old basically uses the tactics of those who know they have a weak argument to support their preferred stance. ie Revert to name calling and other personal abuse. Obviously hoping to dissuade those who have cognitive dissonance and to date believed all the pro wind farm "spin" that they should not descend to even looking at STT. From his comments, it appears bee utey is one who has not. Those who have checked it regularly know that there is often a new article every day - largely sourced from authors elsewhere on some aspect of wind farm problems. Then after them some further comments by those who run the STT site, often including references to other sources to support evidence. Then there are comments by readers. Also, there are links to articles - especially recent ones on other websites. Many similar problems and complaints occur with windfarms in other countries








A couple of comments re the ABC article. The King Island wind farm proposal has recently been cancelled. I gather ultimately because it is becoming more widely recognised that wind is a very costly and inefficient way of reducing carbon emissions after considering the cost in fossil fuels in building them and the need to have costly backup generating capacity on standby for when the wind stops. Is largely expensive erratic operation of fossil fuel powered generators. Note a classic example of this was last January during the heat wave in South Australia. Very heavy power demand from air conditioners and refrigeration equipment and virtually no wind. At least solar generation performance should be predictably good under these conditions.


I have experienced enough of how low frequency noise travels long distances, resonates inside some enclosed spaces and is very difficult to insulate against from sources of it. Including from "Doof" festivals. ie with amplified electronic music. Often this can be heard over 15 km away in country areas, even with timbered areas in between. A major reason why these festivals are usually run out of areas by locals after being held over one weekend for a couple of successive years on the same site. The wind industry tries to just ridicule those complaining about the noise problem when turbines are operating. . Like the tobacco industry long tried to debunk the bad health effects of its products. More research on the obvious adverse health effects of very low frequency noise is necessary.
Re the insinuation by the wind industry misinformation site that STT is just a fossil fuel industry misinformation site, the material on each should be evaluated on its technical merits. Also note that before the recent Federal election, apparently wind turbine manufacturer Vestas gave the Greens party a large financial donation. Also, that there is a lot of Union superannuation fund money invested in wind farms. So not surprising that Labor and Greens want to keep the large legislated for effective subsidies to continue. Even though it has been proven that wind for generating directly into mains will never be a good proposition.

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Originally Posted by mox

Note the Yes2Renewables article, which is nearly 2 years old basically uses the tactics of those who know they have a weak argument to support their preferred stance. ie Revert to name calling and other personal abuse.

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In the category of name calling and personal abuse I guess you would have to include terms scattered among the articles published on the StopThesesThings web site such as 'greentard', 'twitter twit', 'keyboard coward', 'articulate moron', 'ecofascist', 'wind weasel' and the like. Seems like they can dish it out with the best of them.

I wonder if this weakens their arguments?