Managing your electricity costs

We are committed to keeping network costs as low as possible while ensuring safe, reliable power for all customers. This commitment extends beyond building, operating, maintaining, and upgrading the network and includes helping you take practical steps to keep your electricity bill affordable.

Small changes can lead to big savings on your electricity bill. By taking simple steps to improve energy efficiency, you can reduce consumption and lower costs without sacrificing comfort.

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Heating and cooling - about 40% of the average power bill in homes

Every degree counts

  • Every degree you change your heating and cooling impacts your energy use by 5% to 10%. 
  • Set your air conditioner to a comfortable 18-20°C in winter and to 24°C in summer to balance comfort and costs. Regularly clean your air conditioning filter

Zone your home

  • Close doors to keep comfortable in rooms you are using.

Be a fan of the fan

  • Fans are much cheaper to run than air conditioning. Ceiling fans are efficient, and portable fans cost as little as 2 to 3 cents per hour to operate.
  • In winter, use your ceiling fan in reverse mode to disperse your heating more efficiently.

Keep your draughts in the fridge

  • Draught proofing your home is a cheap and easy way to save up to 25% of your heating and cooling costs and remember 40% of heat can be lost through windows.
  • Sealing gaps around doors, floors, windows and skirting boards, and closing curtains and shutters can keep in the heat.

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Hot water -  about 30% of the average energy bill in your home

Keep appliances filled and chilled

  • Washing clothes in hot water uses 50% more energy for front loaders and 85% more energy for top loaders. Use cold water where possible.
  • Reduce your hot water costs by only running the dishwasher and clothes washer when full, using cold wash.
  • Have shorter showers and use a low‑flow showerheads.

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Appliances - about 25% of the average energy bill in your home

Switch off to save

  • Switch off appliances at the wall when not in use. ‘Standby power’ can account for 10% of your electricity bill. If it’s got a little light or clock, it’s using power.
  • Always keep fridges and freezers switched on for food safety.

Use appliances wisely

  • Clean and defrost your fridge regularly and keep it on energy efficient temperatures ‑ between 3 and 4°C for the fridge, and -15 to -18°C for the freezer.
  • Get rid of any additional fridges and freezers you don’t need.
  • Dry clothes on the line rather than in the dryer.
  • Avoid using the oven on hot days.

Check the Energy rating

  • When buying a new fridge, freezer, television, washing machine, clothes dryer, dishwasher or air‑conditioner, look for the Energy Rating Label

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Lighting -  about 7% of the average energy bill in your home

LED light savers

  • LEDs require 75% less energy than halogen lights. Save about $200 per year on lighting costs by switching 20 halogen lights to LEDs.
  • Access the NSW Energy Savings Scheme to replace your downlights at low cost and save.
  • Switch lights off when you leave the room

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Off peak savings - a typically backyard pool adds 17% to your power bill

Use off peak to your advantage

  • To increase your savings with a time‑of‑use retail pricing plan, use energy‑intensive appliances during off‑peak periods.
  • Focus on using the biggest and most energy‑intensive appliances to make the biggest impact such as your swimming pool filter, hot water heating or charging your electric vehicle

Smart solar savings

Get the most from your solar energy and maximise your savings by consuming the solar energy you generate instead of exporting it back to the grid by:

  • using more solar power during the middle of the day when your panels produce the most energy to lower your use of electricity from the grid
  • shift activities like washing, cooking and charging devices to peak solar generation hours for better efficiency.

Discover the full benefits of rooftop solar and how we support our solar customers here.

Don’t miss out on support

There are government financial support programs and rebates available to help you reduce costs and improve energy efficiency in your home or business.

Concession schemes

Concession schemes can ease financial pressure for eligible homes and businesses.

Check with your retailer to see if you qualify for government rebates or concessions.

  • NSW Government rebate schemes - contact your retailer or Service NSW on 13 77 88 to check your eligibility for the Low Income Household Rebate, Life Support Rebate, Medical Energy Rebate and Seniors Energy Rebate.
  • Commonwealth Concession Card schemes - having a Pensioner Concession Card, Seniors Health Card or Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card may make you eligible to receive government concessions.

Energy savings schemes

Government energy efficiency schemes reduce the up-front costs of upgrading to more efficient appliances, helping you save money in the long run.

NSW Energy Savings Scheme

Access significant discounts on the up‑front cost of upgrading your home or business with energy efficient appliances through the NSW Energy Savings Scheme. You can achieve significant discounts when installing energy efficient lighting, air‑conditioning, electric hot water, pool pumps and energy storage batteries. The discount you receive depends on the efficiency of your upgrade.

Federal Government’s Household Energy Upgrades Fund

This fund provides discounted finance to help households install battery‑ready solar systems, modern appliances and other improvements.