THE SMART ENERGY EXPRESS/ MAY 2023
Electrifying Your Newsfeed
Written by Kerry Mullany
The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has confirmed electricity prices will increase by between 20-25% from July 1
Residential customers can expect significant price increases for electricity as we enter the new financial year in July.
Customers without controlled load can expect an increase of 20.8% to 23.9%, and those with controlled load can anticipate higher increases of up to 24.9%.
Small business customers are also affected, with price increases ranging from 14.7% to 28.9%.
Australian Energy Regulator chair Clare Savage explains, inflation has played a key role in the decision.
"There's an increase in the costs of building or recovering the cost of our transmission and distribution systems … and there's also inflation that's applied to the costs that retailers face," she said.
Greedy energy providers are passing significant price rises onto customers during a cost of living crisis!
Ms Savage tries to justify the increase by mentioning that the recently announced energy rebates could help negate the price increase. This band-aid solution is not only short-lived, but the specific eligibility requirements make the accessibility limited to certain households.
Smart energy investments now, can avoid costly consequences later on
Get in touch to see how much you could SAVE!
Smart Energy’s plans to double Australian footprint in the next two years
Co-Founder, Elliot Hayes and Head of Storage & Dealerships, Joel Power speak with Business News Australia (BNA) about the company’s exciting new dealership model, expanding Smart Energy's footprint from 14 locations to 29 nationwide.
The dealership model was born from the recognised need for accessible energy solutions in rural parts of the country. Alongside providing energy services to locals in remote communities, the program brings bright employment opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to start their own solar businesses without starting from scratch.
Each location will be owned and operated by locals who know the area, under the umbrella of an established solar company. With sales training and support from Smart’s head office, the security of the dealership model is a rare find in business.
Timing coincides with the ongoing cost of living crisis which is driving up power bills and pushing Australians to seek more rewarding careers and consider energy solutions like battery storage
“We’ve got to the point where what we’ve actually created is a platform for people to install solar with our software and technology.” Hayes shares with David Simmons, BNA
Now is not just the time to be turning to renewables as a consumer; for savvy business owners, now is the time to jump in on a booming industry.
Could you be a Smart Energy Dealership Owner?
Australian Budget BAND AID for Escalating Electricity costs: "Energy Relief Payments"
The Australian Budget 2023 has introduced urgent energy relief measures to assist eligible households with their power bills.
Key takeaways:
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The budget includes a one-time payment of up to $500 for eligible households to help offset rising energy costs.
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To be eligible for the payment, households must be receiving certain government benefits or allowances, such as the Age Pension or JobSeeker payment.
- The relief measures aim to temporarily alleviate financial pressure on vulnerable households.
Remember the key word here is 'eligible' — this means not every household or small business will get this relief.
This band-aid “solution” is wasting taxpayers money on something with a short lived outcome.
Think about it this way, is the government going to be paying household bills for the next 25 years? ... pigs will fly before that happens.
FYI - You don’t need pigs to fly when producing enough of your own energy with a solar system that mitigates your bills for years to come.
Fortunately, there was some sense in this year's budget, including funding for Energy Efficiency Programs and initiatives to promote Clean Energy and reduce emissions.
Hooray - some solutions with longevity!
Explore the plans for this years Energy Budget below...
The 2023‑24 Federal Budget Summary
As part of the plan to ease the cost of living without adding to inflation, the 2023‑24 Budget delivers more than $1.6 billion for energy saving upgrades for homes, businesses and social housing.
$1.3 billion to establish the Household Energy Upgrades Fund.
This fund will provide $1 billion to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) to turbocharge financing options for household energy upgrades such as installing solar or adding a battery to an existing system. This will help more than 110,000 households lower their energy bills.
$310 million for the Small Business Energy Incentive
To provide businesses with annual turnover of less than $50 million, an additional 20 per cent deduction on spending that supports electrification and more efficient use of energy. Chat to our Head of Commercial, James Grant to find out if you qualify for this rebate (Contact details below).
$300 million to support upgrades to social housing
As most social housing was built over 20 years ago, before minimum build standards, the energy efficiency of most social housing is amongst the lowest in Australia. These are the Australians who can’t afford – and would benefit most – from energy upgrades. It’s estimated that once implemented, around 60,000 social housing properties will save up to one‑third of their energy consumption from upgrades each year.
$36.7 million to expand and upgrade the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme
To apply to existing homes. Similarly to social housing, many older homes don’t meet modern energy efficiency standards. This investment helps people source a home energy rating, so they are more informed when it comes to energy upgrades, renting and purchasing homes.
Expansion of the Greenhouse Energy Minimum Standards (GEMS)
Existing minimum energy efficiency and labelling requirements save the average household between $140 and $220 per year on electricity bills. However only half the products available to Australians fall into the requirements. Funding will help expand the options available.