You know what really amazes me is the number of people who look at their electricity bill and then decide to install solar panels. They don't even think for a second that perhaps by reviewing and reducing their usage they may save more money and it will cost them nothing except some time.
I wrote the Energy Cost Calculator because I was comparing low energy lights and how long it would take for the lights to pay for themselves. I found doing the calculation tedious, so I decided to write myself a calculator to assist with the calculation. I then found myself reviewing all the devices around my home and now our electricity usage sits around 5 kWh per day, whereas before we were using 12-14 kWh per day.
At the time I was also considering a solar panel system. There were quite a few hidden costs and some gotchas such as when electricity companies change people to time-of-day charging increasing their electricity bill. One article I read about 12 locals found they were saving an average of around $200 a year. A far cry from the massive savings people expected. However we're now saving probably around $1,000 a year on electricity with no cost of installing a solar panel system.
I should add that I have bought a few gadgets to help me in my quest to reduce power, and even bought a TV to replace an old TV/set top box as the electricity savings would pay of the new TV in six years. From then on it was money in my pocket and not the electricity retailer's.
So before installing solar panels do a review of your current appliances and see if you can reduce money through some simple habit changes. It's been a couple of years since I first started the changes and I'm even surprised that I continue to find ways to save money on electricity.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.EnergyCostCalculator.com.au
Knowledge isn't just power, it saves money as well.
PS. Think about this. It is estimated that one in four houses now have solar panels. The majority would have taken advantage of the rebate. Who paid for that rebate? We all do in the form of increased electricity charges. It doesn't come out of general taxes. So you're now paying more because your neighbour decided to try to save money and slug you for part of the cost. The same is true for those free low energy lights where contractors were being paid $10 per light for something you could have purchased for a dollar or two. So don't fool yourself. When you participate in a government scheme you're shafting yourself and your neighbours with increased electricity costs. I think that's pretty selfish and why I purchased my own low energy lights and don't install solar panels connecting to the grid.
I wrote the Energy Cost Calculator because I was comparing low energy lights and how long it would take for the lights to pay for themselves. I found doing the calculation tedious, so I decided to write myself a calculator to assist with the calculation. I then found myself reviewing all the devices around my home and now our electricity usage sits around 5 kWh per day, whereas before we were using 12-14 kWh per day.
At the time I was also considering a solar panel system. There were quite a few hidden costs and some gotchas such as when electricity companies change people to time-of-day charging increasing their electricity bill. One article I read about 12 locals found they were saving an average of around $200 a year. A far cry from the massive savings people expected. However we're now saving probably around $1,000 a year on electricity with no cost of installing a solar panel system.
I should add that I have bought a few gadgets to help me in my quest to reduce power, and even bought a TV to replace an old TV/set top box as the electricity savings would pay of the new TV in six years. From then on it was money in my pocket and not the electricity retailer's.
So before installing solar panels do a review of your current appliances and see if you can reduce money through some simple habit changes. It's been a couple of years since I first started the changes and I'm even surprised that I continue to find ways to save money on electricity.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.EnergyCostCalculator.com.au
Knowledge isn't just power, it saves money as well.
PS. Think about this. It is estimated that one in four houses now have solar panels. The majority would have taken advantage of the rebate. Who paid for that rebate? We all do in the form of increased electricity charges. It doesn't come out of general taxes. So you're now paying more because your neighbour decided to try to save money and slug you for part of the cost. The same is true for those free low energy lights where contractors were being paid $10 per light for something you could have purchased for a dollar or two. So don't fool yourself. When you participate in a government scheme you're shafting yourself and your neighbours with increased electricity costs. I think that's pretty selfish and why I purchased my own low energy lights and don't install solar panels connecting to the grid.
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