Some Australian households will soon be able to access at least three hours free electricity every day.
Solar Power Sharing Proposal (SSO) is planned to be introduced in New South Wales, South Australia And southeast Queensland from July 1st.
With some suppliers already offering free electricity periods in the middle of the day, what do these new changes mean for you and how can you make the most of your free electricity period at home?
How can I get free electricity?
To begin, you will have to log in N.S.W., South Australia or southeast Queensland take advantage of this scheme as it will only apply to people in areas covered by the Australian Energy Regulator. Default Market Supply.
But other jurisdictions are expected to follow suit, with the federal government saying it is “considering making SSO or an equivalent option available in other areas.”
Victoria has already announced a very similar initiative, with three hours of free electricity available in the middle of the day from 1 October.
If you are eligible for SSO, the first thing you need is smart meter and you will have to register to the offer.
Australia’s energy regulator says the mandatory nationwide rollout aims to install smart meters on all national electricity market customers by 30 November 2030.
Customers may request an upgrade prior to a planned deployment in their region or additional devices such as solar panels or batteries, but in these cases they may have to pay for installation.
Brendan Lang says he has shifted energy loads through his provider to cheaper tariff windows. (Contributed by: Brendan Lang)
Some energy providers already offer plans with similar free periods of electricity, and electrician Brendan Lang says he has taken advantage of this.
Mr Lang says he is working with a provider that is offering three hours of free electricity in Naarm/Melbourne.
“I have already managed to shift my energy consumption to cheaper tariff windows.”
Electricity may also cost less during off-peak time if your electricity supplier charges a fee “time of use” tariff.
But energy efficiency expert Alan Pearce says consumers should “weigh up whether they will save overall” by calculating their energy use and comparing options.
Mr Pearce, a senior research fellow at RMIT and a research fellow at the University of Melbourne, said: “In other cases, these contracts may command higher prices than traditional ‘fixed’ tariffs.”
What time of day does the free period start?
It is unknown when exactly the free period will be, but most likely it will come. from 11:00 to 14:00because that’s when solar generation reaches its peak.
Currently, some of the solar energy generated during the middle of the day is wasted because many people are not at home to use it and there are not enough batteries to store it.
Smart meters can help
Brian Spak is the General Manager of Advocacy and Policy at Energy Consumers Australia. (Delivery: EKA)
If your home already has a smart meter, it can help you with the “detective work” of figuring out what’s consuming energy, says Brian Spak, general manager of advocacy and policy at Energy Consumers Australia.
“If you have a smart meter, your retailer may be able to provide an online portal or information with your bill that will allow you to check your recent energy use.”
Mr Lang says a smart meter is like “upgrading your old brick phone to a (smartphone)”.
“It has a lot more features and functions to help you manage your energy consumption.”
Adjust when you use and charge devices
Mr. Pierce recommends using days when you are at home and changing electricity use to benefit from periods of free energy where possible.
He says this may include washing clothes, cooking, vacuuming or mow lawns with electric mower.
But if you’re away from home during the day, many appliances have timers or scheduling features, Mr. Pearce says.
Australians will get three free hours of electricity
Consider how much electricity the appliance uses, he says, and weigh whether shifting or timing might be too inconvenient.
Safety “This is another factor to consider if you’re setting up appliances like your clothes dryer to run while you’re away,” says Mr Pearce.
Mr Lang says dishwashers And washing machines are traditional candidates because they “often have a timer function” and can be scheduled to run during a free electricity window.
If you have electric oven or B-B-Qhe says you can also use the free daily electricity period to barbecue or cook up a big Sunday roast.
Electric cars That’s another “big question,” Mr. Lang said.
“Charging during peak or leisure hours can really reduce costs.”
Pre-cooling or heating a well-insulated home
Mr Lang says you can warm or cool your home with split system, air conditioning in a window with free electricity.
“Most have timer function is also built into the hand controller so you can set it to run on a schedule.”
But he says there’s “no point” doing it in a house without insulation or draft protection if you’re not home, as it won’t hold the temperature.
“Go to your local hardware store and spend a few dollars on draft control and insulation, and you’ll get much more efficient heating and cooling.”
Heating and cooling typically account for 40 percent of household energy use, Mr. Spak said, and “lack of insulation… is a significant contributor to higher bills.”
Think about your hot water system
Switch to hot water system with heat pump “It can also be good for you,” Mr. Lang says.
“Almost all of them have a built-in timer, so you can schedule it to run each day… and keep the water tank hot, possibly overnight.”
Although heat pump water heating units use less electricity than traditional electric water heaters, he says it’s still worth setting them up to run during the day.
Some models also have timers and smart controlhe says.
If you can’t schedule your hot water system, consider other appliances that use a lot of energy.
Mr. Spak says that, depending on the model, dishwashers and washing machines often don’t use much electricity, but they can use a lot of hot water.
“You also need to think about when you run them and when your hot water system will get hot.”