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News$700k worth of savings tips from the government
$700k worth of savings tips from the government

$700k worth of savings tips from the government

Tags: Energy Information
Last updated by Someone on

Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately, you would have noticed all the talk about energy prices. If you have been off the grid (pun intended), there’s no hiding from your energy bill, which will find you eventually. 

And so will the Federal Government’s latest $700,000 ad campaign!

Launched this month, the Powering Forward Campaign reportedly cost tax-payers $300,000 for 60 seconds of airtime during the AFL & NRL Grand Finals, and as much as $700,000 in fees to a Melbourne ad agency.

There's some useful information buried in there, but it's hidden behind propaganda pushing the government's energy policy credentials.

What do you think of the campaign?

Our take? The website contains some useful info for people wanting to save on power bills, for example it links to the Energy Made Easy comparison site and the Victorian Switchon site to compare offers.

It also contains energy efficiency tips for households, which can be handy.

But all that useful stuff is buried behind the silly “powering forward” slogan and some bumph about the Government’s Snowy Hydro 2.0 and gas reservation policies.

They’re important, but we’d like to see the moneysaving info up front and centre!

Here’s something else you can do to save.

A couple of months back, the Fiftyup Club started our Power-Up Campaign,  which now boasts a staggering 50,000 registrations nationally That tells us that you do want to do something about energy prices even if it’s just to send a message to power companies that enough is enough.

While Australia may rank second in the world for quality-of-life, we rate first in the world for the highest energy prices. Data from the Carbon + Energy Markets' MarkIntell service says we’re ahead of Germany, Denmark and Italy with 4 Australian states in the top ten (click here to see the list).

This despite Australia having every energy resource available in the world including coal, wind, solar, nuclear and sea-water hydro power.

What can you do? It’s as easy as picking up the phone, calling your energy retailer and asking for a better deal. Don’t take no for an answer. The energy market has never been so competitive and you can get results, with many members reporting savings in the hundreds of dollars.

Click here to see the latest Fiftyup Club energy offers, extended for a limited time only


 

 

Originally posted on .

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Bruce
Bruce from TAS commented:

With the 5.5% discount on fuel & because BP is getting few & far between, it will cost me in excess of 1 litre of fuel to get to the nearest BP service station so making the 5.5% unviable. With the right gift card, you can save 5.0% & still receive 4cents per litre with shopping vouchers 

John
John from NSW commented:

The fifty up club might be approaching companies in good faith to provide good deals for its members but I think these companies are offering great deals just to get exposure to so many people to see how many gullible suckers they can get on their books and charge all the hidden extras ,etc and some people still think they're getting a good deal because it's come through the fifty up club. Read carefully any deals offered. You might be much better off staying with what you've got, John-Newcastle 

Ariel
Ariel from NSW commented:

Will killing the carbon tax cut your electricity bill?? Likely not - have a listen or read http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/backgroundbriefing/2014-06-29/5549868 

Allan
Allan from WA commented:

Allan from W A. With some 85,000 Fiftyup Club members, in my opinion, it is time the Fiftyup Club banged on the door of the premiers of our states and Tony Abbott's door and highly recommend and suggest they take some notice of our membership and start treating us with much respect and start taxing other demographics rather than Fiftyup Club member demographic. There are more " grey nomads " in this country which includes Fifty up Club members than any other sector of the Australian electoral roles. Come on Chairman John Mangos, you are needed with your knowledge, experience and clout to sit down and hammer out deals from these political leaders for Fiftyup Club members. I for one am more than willing and very interested to join you in meeting with these " public servants ". Please let us know what you are going to do in this scene, so we can plan and support you and our membership !!!! 

Bernard
Bernard from QLD commented:

Thanks for the support Bernd. Beverly raises the question about John Howard. Howard only got the country back on track by introducing the GST. It was the greatest income producing tax ever bestowed on a government. It starts from the moment you are born and continues for your whole life and still has its hand in your pocket as they lower you into the grave. But it did help to stabilize the country's economy. For a little time. Unfortunately the scoundrels in government reverted back to their old tricks of waste, waste, waste and the money was gone again. Its the same old story time and time again and with the same cast of players every time. That's why we must have change. Independents, the Palmer party, Bob Katter, whatever. i don't care. Its unlikely they could do any worse than the current bunch of no-hopers in the ALP and the LNP . 

Bernd
Bernd from QLD replied to Bernard:

Bernard: it was not the GST that got rid the debit that John Howard got this country into. Howard put the country into budget deficient to an amount of $9.5 billion when he was treasurer under Frasier. This was increased by Labor to $10.3 billion. When Howard became PM, he and Costello sold off the following to get the budget back into surplus, the remaining 51% that the Government held in the Commonwealth Bank, half of Australia's Gold reserves, leased out Airports for 99 years to foreign companies. The GST was Howard's dream to implement for 25 years prior it being in, this despite other countries that had already implemented telling him not to as once it was implemented it could not be taken out. Howard saw the GST as a steady revenue raiser that went to the States, leaving him to collect all the other taxes to create surplus's. Once the GST was legislated he washed his hands of it by declaring that if the GST was to be increased [ despite him declaring that it would never be higher than 10% ] by passing it off to the Senate as the body that looks after the states. It would be only increased if all of the states agreed that they needed more money. The wost thing that a country can have is a PM that was a former treasurer. The current LNP Government simply have no new ideas concerning of how to run the country. 

jennine
jennine from NSW replied to Bernard:

I agree with you point of view and until the major parties work out that they work for us the electorate . The Katter's / Palmer's will gain more votes as a reminder that we are not sheep and will take our votes where they will do best for us their employers. 

George
George from NSW commented:

I would like to know if anyone else out there is sick of the exorbitant fees charged by "specialists"? I am a diabetic and have neuropathy in both feet and now my left hand has decided that the finger numbers 4&5 have decided to become numb, I went to a clinic to have a test and it was bulk billed but now, I need to go to ANOTHER specialist to find out exactly what is wrong with my left arm and, I will have to pay $200.00 up front and, Medicare will refund $73.00 afterwards. I am not complaining that I have to go but I can't see why I can't a. get a reduction for Pensioner and b. why these specialists get so much? I went to a endocrinologist last year and for 10 minutes it cost me $200.00 and I got $56.00 back from Medicare and, all he could tell me was that I was overweight???? I knew that. It would be better if I were an illegal refugee, then I would get all this treatment for $0.00. 

Michael
Michael from NSW commented:

Michael from Kingswood replying to Margaret. Thankyou for your comment as I receive $822.57 after rent assistance has been taken out, and I then pay $71.71 to Certegy for my Laptop and then I pay $640.00 to Real Estate I pay Medical expenses such as Scripts from the Doctor which is $50.00 per fortnight, these payments are fortnightly to coincide with my Centrelink payments so after all I'm left with is $60.86 every fortnight. Also I haven't included; Petrol, Electricity, Telephone, Insurance on Car, Compulsory Third Party, Water, so I have to budget for all these sundry payments, you can see I have no money after everything has been paid. Just a few things with my health is I have Steal Rods in my Back, also a shoulder replacement and Parkinson's Disease and I'm unable to walk around my Unit without my walking stick and I cant stand any longer than 3 minutes because of pain. I have sieges so I'm totally grounded to my Unit. After all thankyou Margaret regards, Michael. 

margaret
margaret from NSW replied to Michael:

Thank you for your feedback.It should serve as a reminder to to many of us that we are not as badly off as we think.HOWEVER sympathy does not put food in belly. Are you within 70k of blue mountains and accessable by public transport?( I do not have a car) If so, and if you wish, I can trolley in extra fresh, and non perishable foods once a month. I earn a little extra by craft work so am able to help without using my pension. Was doing this for a gentleman who left us last year and it works quite well. The food, after first visit is tailored to your abilities, needs, taste and reasonable requests.If you are interested please let me Know. May need to go through "Head Office at 50 up club" for monitoring of address etc.I'm hopeless on computors so will leave this to you. Anybody else out there have any help to offer Michael? 

Michael
Michael from NSW replied to margaret:

Michael from Kingswood replying to Margaret Thankyou for replying to my comments. I live in Kingswood which is next to Penrith which is below the mountains. I do drive a car to get around but mainly my son takes me any where I need to go and he is also my carer as I can hardly walk. All people living on a pension must be suffering like me as I have never have anything left after paying rent @ 640.00 every fortnight and $70.00 per fortnight to Certegy for a loan for the computer that I'm on, so I suppose a computer is a luxury but this is the only way I can be in contact with the world and suck up the boredoms of life. At the moment life sucks not having food or a "0" bank account all the time and it is always hard to pay my monthly bills such as electricity and phone and also I cant go any where because I don't have money for petrol. A good friend the other day to me to a pub for lunch and he filled my car with $105.00 worth, that's was great but that was great. Anyway Bye for now to everyone and have a great day. Michael 

margaret
margaret from NSW replied to Michael:

Mmmm... Michael I am still waiting for a reply to my offer of help made 9 24 am on the 17th.I realise ill health may prevent you from using your computer from time to time but the sooner you reply the sooner,if you are in an accessable area, you can recieve help. Your lack of food is something that should not happen in this country. 

Eric
Eric from NSW commented:

Be careful of Click Energy if they make an error in their billing. They seem almost incapable of correcting their mistakes. My last bill was some 5 times what it should have been and my efforts to explain the errors don't seem to be taken too seriously. If they don't correct them before the due date I will be going back to my previously supplier. 

Peter
Peter from NSW commented:

I would like 50 up to investigated how motor insurance companies can justify its charges. I have an older car that is not economical to insure comprehensivly. I have 3rd party Property Damage, and because of being on a pension I only insure for 6 months on a green slip. Now, the current cost for six months is $296.00 with twelve months set at $390.00. $106.00 more. The chance of a pay out is 50% less for a six month policy than it would be for a twelve month policy, so how can they have 2X6 months insurance at $592.00 and 1X12 months at $390.00. My 3rd Party Property damage costs me $625 Excess if I damage another car, and yet some insurance companies pay out the damaged driver if the one damaging is not insured. Add these costs to the price of petrol in the country, and the rural pensioner and low income earner is almost forced to break the law and hope they can get away with it. A bloody pensioner, on a fixed income, can't even declare themselves bankrupt to get out of debt, not like the "big end of town" who go bankrupt at the drop of a hat, or may be the drop of a share. 

Peter
Peter from NSW commented:

I would like 50 up to investigated how motor insurance companies can justify its charges. I have an older car that is not economical to insure comprehensivly. I have 3rd party Property Damage, and because of being on a pension I only insure for 6 months on a green slip. Now, the current cost for six months is $296.00 with twelve months set at $390.00. $106.00 more. The chance of a pay out is 50% less for a six month policy than it would be for a twelve month policy, so how can they have 2X6 months insurance at $592.00 and 1X12 months at $390.00. My 3rd Party Property damage costs me $625 Excess if I damage another car, and yet some insurance companies pay out the damaged driver if the one damaging is not insured. Add these costs to the price of petrol in the country, and the rural pensioner and low income earner is almost forced to break the law and hope they can get away with it. A bloody pensioner, on a fixed income, can't even declare themselves bankrupt to get out of debt, not like the "big end of town" who go bankrupt at the drop of a hat, or may be the drop of a share. 

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