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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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Michael
Michael from NSW commented:

Michael from Kingswood, NSW. I'm on the Old Age Pension and I receive $800 per fortnight and my Rent is $640 per fortnight. I recently had to buy a new Laptop as my old Laptop died. I got a personal loan with Certegy to purchase a new Laptop. I pay $75 per fortnight with no interest. After I pay everything I have nothing left. I have a Pizza on Friday and Saturday and nothing to eat for the rest of the week. I never go out and I'm living like a Hermit in my Unit. I will be 69 this year in August and this is not living. I cant survive on the Old Pension. As for the FiftyUp Club you offer all these offers for various things, but I are unable to take up all the offers that FiftyUp Club offers to all the Pensioners as we are all battling to survive on what the Government or Centrelink pay us all. No one cares about us on a Pension. Michael Kingswood. 

margaret
margaret from NSW replied to Michael:

If you are in private rental you should get a rent allowance around $126 per fortnight. You should, like me have just over $960 in total. I do not know your circumstances but it does seem that something is wrong. If your calculations are correct go to Centrelink and get a breakdown. Difficult to believe you are starving for 5 days a week, however not only is there help out there but Centrelink will tell you where in your area it is. One could consider better ways of investing the cost of two pizzas. One third mince, one third soaked lentals, and one third diced vegetables will make any type of curry as simple (Keens curry powder) or complex as you wish. It freezes well put into single portion freezer bags. This with a piece of fresh fruit for vit. C will provide good nutrition and fibre at about $1.15 per serve plus fruit. God helps those who help themself, so help her, help you. 

John
John from NSW commented:

I sign up with Noble Oak for life insurance, the quote online $107 WOW this is good, I send in all my health details and WOW they want $590pm wow what a surprise --- NO THANKYOU 

John
John from NSW commented:

I sign up with Noble Oak for life insurance, the quote online $107 WOW this is good, I send in all my health details and WOW they want $590pm wow what a surprise --- NO THANKYOU 

Karen
Karen from NSW commented:

I'd like to raise another issue that I am finding increasingly frustrating. Why are so many services (electricity, telephone, insurance etc) forcing customers to pay by direct debit? I am an adult, I've been one for quite some time. I can manage my money and have NEVER missed a bill ever! So why can't I be trusted to meet my obligations without handing control of my bank account to someone else? There is no additional costs to companies in allowing EFT payments or Bpay so why are they doing this? This move by all these companies effectively shuts out people like me from discounted offers for no other reason than we don't want to use direct debit payment. 

John
John from NSW replied to Karen:

My feelings exactly, well put Karen 

Karen
Karen from NSW commented:

I'd like to raise another issue that I am finding increasingly frustrating. Why are so many services (electricity, telephone, insurance etc) forcing customers to pay by direct debit? I am an adult, I've been one for quite some time. I can manage my money and have NEVER missed a bill ever! So why can't I be trusted to meet my obligations without handing control of my bank account to someone else? There is no additional costs to companies in allowing EFT payments or Bpay so why are they doing this? This move by all these companies effectively shuts out people like me from discounted offers for no other reason than we don't want to use direct debit payment. 

Christine
Christine from QLD commented:

After requesting a call back for a quote for the new Coles home and contents Insurance, I was contacted by an OS call centre which made it difficult to understand and ensure the correct information was being exchanged, also a lot of background noises made it even more difficult. But I persisted, I told the operator that I had just built and moved into my first home which had a new number etc and proceeded to go through the process. After a lengthy period of giving, repeating and checking details, the offer was no where near the 40% discount as promoted. At the end of ALL that, the operator told me that she would have to confirm my address before we could proceed, would I like to hold or have her call me back? I chose the call back, luckily I did because that was over 4 hours ago. A long time to be on hold yeah? If my current insurer can override their system to accept my new address, why can't this one? Why hasn't some one called me back? Is this legit or a scam? 

paul
paul from NSW commented:

I have previously commented regarding reducing the fees for fishing licences in nsw. Maybe for those who hold a seniors card should be included. What do you think. 

alan
alan from NSW commented:

Still waiting for something usefull in here tried the coles offer (Just a joke) stayed with CIL greenslip QBE is the best , I live in a relocatable home park so my power is controlled by the owners, so what does fiftyup have to offer I live rural 

alan
alan from NSW commented:

Still waiting for something usefull in here tried the coles offer (Just a joke) stayed with CIL greenslip QBE is the best , I live in a relocatable home park so my power is controlled by the owners, so what does fiftyup have to offer I live rural 

MATTHEW
MATTHEW from NSW commented:

My health premium will go up 6% to $356 with HCF. We are in our early 70s & need cover more as we get older. We need a Fifty Up Club offer for health insurance. 

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