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NewsAnalysis reveals some silver linings in power price hikes
Analysis reveals some silver linings in power price hikes

Analysis reveals some silver linings in power price hikes

Tags: Energy
Last updated by Joel Gibson on

A new analysis reveals some silver linings in the recent July 1 power price hikes, with retailers also raising solar feed-in tariffs.

The FiftyUp Club asked our energy analyst to look at what has changed in the electricity market since July 1. Not surprisingly, they found big price hikes of up to 20% - driven by the rising cost of wholesale energy.

But because wholesalers are charging more, that means every mum and dad with solar panels on their roof will also get more for the energy they sell back to the grid. After all, they’re a small power station too!

Government Feed-in schemes are gradually winding up around the country but the Feed-ins paid by retailers have almost doubled in some cases.

See the list below for the range of Feed-ins we found in your state.

The FiftyUp Club is currently preparing a campaign to create new group discounts for members on energy plans, including solar. So watch this space in the weeks to come.

Meanwhile, read below to see whether your Feed-in is now competitive.

NSW

Retailer Feed-in Tariffs range from 6c – 17c

Average Retailer Feed-in Tariff is now 10c

QLD

Retailer Feed-in Tariffs range from 6c – 16c

Average Retailer Feed-in Tariff is now 10c

VIC

Retailer Feed-in Tariffs range from 5c – 16c

Average Retailer Feed-in Tariff is now 11c

SA

Retailer Feed-in Tariffs range from 6.8c – 22c

Average Retailer Feed-in Tariff is now 12c

Originally posted on .

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Someone
Someone from QLD commented:

just changed my deal with origin 4 weeks ago to 22% off usage 9cents fit. Today I get a letter offering 10% off usage and 15 cents fit .I don't know whether I coming or going,now I have to sit down for 4 hours again to do the maths as the usage costs have gone up ! Their out to get me , just can't figure it out yet...Ian nsw 

Peter
Peter from NSW commented:

That appears to be the Origin Solar Boost Plan which I have just signed up for. I looked at the other plan (Origin Maximiser and I was able to get 24% online) and calculated that I would be better of with the smaller discount because of the quantity of kilowatts I feed back to the grid. 

Elliot
Elliot from WA commented:

To those talking about WA: WA feed in tariff hasn't increased because we didn't get a price hike in power charges, yes we got a daily supply charge increase from 48.6c to 94.91c but that has nothing to do with the cost of buying/selling power. 

Grace
Grace from QLD commented:

And btw Margaret, we are pensioners and have used a big part of our (little) savings when we put solar on the roof in 2010. 

Someone
Someone from WA commented:

Our synergy company pride hemselves that in the last few yrs we haven't had major power blackouts in the summer when everyone has aircons on.but they don't thank or compensate us for spending our money to put up solar. We have helped not having power shortages not the govt.if we didn't have solar as much as we have we would be having major power shortages in summer as we did a few yrs ago.keep up the good work fifty ups and keep fighting for us. 7 c what a joke.i have changed to kleenheat. Carol 

Elliot
Elliot from WA commented:

To Anonymous from WA: You where subsidised for the cost of your solar panels at install so yes you where compensated. Depending when you installed you may all so be getting a Net Feed-In Tarif up to 40c, if so you are being compensated well making solar a very good investment. Finally Kleenheat is a Gas supplier not Electricity, lots of luck making your TV, Fridge and Lights run on gas. 

Grace
Grace from QLD commented:

Click Energy gives us 17 c but...they are also about 5 cents more expensive with their Tariffs. That's how they make money. So you need to know what is more important; the solar feed-in rebate or the lower electricity cost. 

Alan
Alan from VIC replied to Grace:

Grace Theres always a catch they give you nothing for free just try and confuse us with their marketing ploys. Treat us like duds 

Peter
Peter from NSW replied to Grace:

Grace. You are completely correct with their pricing. When I joined Click a bit over 3 years ago, their feed-in tariff was the best around and their usage and supply charges the same as Origin who I had been with. Now their usage charges are ridiculously higher than Origin and the feed-in tariff only 2 cents better. I calculated the sums based on the last 12 months actual figures and I will be at least $600 worse off with Click. So I have made the decision to return to Origin (Solar Boost Plan). 

Grace
Grace from QLD replied to Peter:

Thanks for that info Peter. I tried to find out which companies had better deals but the sites where they say you can compare prices are so convoluted that I gave up. I just want to see a simple chart but they don't give you that. I will contact Origin and see what I can get. 

Neville
Neville from VIC replied to Peter:

Peter, I joined Click to accept what I thought was a good offer. They really messed us around - I kept telling them to check their figures and asking if our solar was included, as we had never had to pay since our solar went on ,but the bills kept coming. We finally had enough and left them for Red Energy. We received five different accounts in the final week, each rebate higher than the last. Turned out that they were estimating and had never had a solar reading , even though they insisted that it was included. They lied. Red is cheaper for each individual sections and gives $0.13.1 fit. 

Grace
Grace from QLD replied to Neville:

Neville that is very interesting. I had never thought about how they calculate the Solar Feed-In. I will ask them about it. I am also going to try and get a lower rate. Discount on paying on time is not so important to me as our bills are not that high anyway. 

Jeanette
Jeanette from QLD replied to Grace:

Grace, Replying under this one as ur comments are in several spots, whilst the Feed-in rate is important & often not well recompensed it is much more important to be sure you are utilising the solar you generate in peak sun-hours by running appliances/elec stoves at peak sun-hrs. From 1/1/17 when it all changed in NSW I didn't realise this at first until I got the March quarter's horrific bill & got to grips with how/when to use appliances so I changed to cooking in peak sunhours instead of evening. On sunny days I collect 1 to 1.5hrsKw/hr at peak sun so run pool pump to use that, at lesser sun collection times it is still substantial at up to 1Kw/hr so I use washing machine/ cook/charge phone & vacuum but I use the appliances in rotation, never at same time to be sure I am drawing my own power & no top-ups from grid for each appliance. It is better to use as much solar as you can in peak sun hours & feed in as little as possible during those peak sun hours, the aim is not to see how much you can export as such a low price but to utilise most of what you generate so you use less grid power which is more expensive. 1 tip to use less grid power as fridges/freezers don't deterioate if off 6-8hrs & door rarely opened & if cooking at peak sun hours it doesn't matter opening it as pulling your solar then, is to put them on timers to be on during solar collection but at 4p.m. when solar diminishes & it's peak grid rates use timer to turn off fridge until 8.01pm. when grid is shoulder - off peak rate, time to turn them off at 7.00a.m. when peak rates start again & solar collecting from about 8a.m. By doing all of this I have reduced grid use by about 50%/24hrs, can see the bar charts on my account daily, periodically I check a day's solar collection to compare to what they show daily is fed in after my use just to know it's correct. Thought I'd pass on as took me ages to get my head around it. 

Grace
Grace from QLD replied to Jeanette:

Thanks for those tips Jeanette but I already know this and also use most of my electric appliances during the day. But other people may not realise it and find your comments very useful. 

BRIAN
BRIAN from QLD commented:

I live on the Sunshine Coast QLD and have only ever got 6c feedin how do I get at least the average of 10c. 

Grace
Grace from QLD replied to BRIAN:

Check Click and Origin 

BRIAN
BRIAN from QLD replied to Grace:

Grace I should have mentioned even though I am only getting 6c feedin I get 21% oof on power usage from Origin. I was only getting 10% from Origin but threatened to switch to Energy Aust with 16% off but Origin came back with 21% offer so stated with them. So begs the question why did't Origin offer 21% in the first place. 

Grace
Grace from QLD replied to BRIAN:

Indeed. I contact Click on a regular basis and often find out i can get a better deal. But they don't tell existing customers about it. 

Someone
Someone from WA commented:

What about w a . We only get 7 cents.please help us too Joy 

bradley
bradley from NSW commented:

i am currently on 6 cents with agl how do I get an increase to 17 cents 

Someone
Someone from QLD replied to bradley:

Bradley, I switched to Red Energy, they offer 13.1c feed in tariff but the most important thing - their prices are lower in each category than any others I can find. 

Peter
Peter from NSW replied to bradley:

There are a number of companies offering better than 10 cents as ASIC has recommended increasing the tariff. 

Someone
Someone from WA commented:

Thanks for looking into this one 50 up. There needs to much more equality in this area, not just for the energy companies to make their buck on our investments. But what about WA we get a pitiful 7c 

kevin
kevin from TAS commented:

What about feed-in tariff estimate for Tasmania,is it because of a energy price freeze for 12 months ? Keep up the good work. 

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