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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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Andrew
Andrew from QLD commented:

Use notes on the smart phone and limit input to what you need not what you want 

Gloria
Gloria from NSW commented:

Use what you have in the fridge & the pantry before going out and buying more groceries. You'll save on wastage and make room on the shelves at the same time. 

sharon
sharon from QLD commented:

Totally agree with all the comments on here. I am a 51 year old single parent on newstart for the past 2 years. I lost my job and my home. I have a child still at primary school and one first year at uni. I am retraining as a childcare worker, lots of jobs in that industry, well not if your 51 and don't have job experience. I have been for countless interviews, my self-esteem has plummeted. I am sick of being called a dole bludger, even by my family. I am a registered job seeker with Mission Australia, they get paid for this. They do nothing for me, I turn up for an interview every month and I sign a plan that says I have to apply for so many jobs a fortnight. The system is not working. I have a few friends in the same situation as me, we feel like we have been forgotten. I found out yesterday I need a root canal - was quoted around $2000, how can I afford that. It's robbery. It's not cosmetic, I have to have it done. Now I know why so many people have missing teeth. 

Kathleen
Kathleen from QLD commented:

I find the best way to save on foodstuffs is to buy from independent small businesses, who specialise in high quality, fresh food. It lasts longer, tastes better and is more nutritious. I visit the supermarket only occasionally to stock up on essential grocery items, and thus avoid the temptation to buy non-essential items that can really burn a whole in the budget, such as snack foods and confectionary. 

Shirley
Shirley from QLD commented:

I shop in bulk for meat, chicken etc when it's on special, and freeze in meal size packs. Even though it's now only my husband and I living in our house, I cook bulk meals at once whenever possible, so reducing our power/energy costs overall. I've shopped and cooked this way all our married life and so can easily calculate the per meal/head cost of our food. Even if people are singles, it may be possible to team up with others to bulk buy. The supermarkets don't give any consideration to singles or those on limited incomes when they offer discounts only when you buy two of something, so beat them at their own game and team up with others to make your money go further. 

Lesleeanne
Lesleeanne from NSW commented:

This is one of the most useless articles I have ever read. Anybody who grocery shops would have learnt all these so called tips by the second week of shopping. Older people are not dumb. 

Someone
Someone from NSW replied to Lesleeanne:

Sorry do not agree. The amount of dumb buying I see in supermarkets makes me wonder if many of us are not as poor as we make out or are witless and lazy The amount of of people paying full price for last weeks non perisable specials amazes me.Loo paper, washing powder,detergent, tinned tomatos, and other veg.vitamin tablets, stockings, the list goes on and on,and on.Now there is little chance you will waste these items and whilst stocking up on chocolate biscutes is for most, not a good idea you are not likely to use more loo paper, or soap powder just because you have it on hand. Then there is the stocking up of items,where the water content and packaging,soups for example cost more than the nourishing ingedients. Buying 6 cans of soup even when reduced to $2 is poor nutrition and poor value. The amount of quality soup I can make to fill my hungry freezer for $12 using whatever is value at the time is amazing.And I could go on for pages about really saving yet eating well. 

Dennis
Dennis from QLD commented:

We shop daily after our morning walk and usually start we the stores open at 8:00 am. Since Woolies and Coles are both close by we tend to shop at both stores for specials. Also we always check out the through out bins as there is always terrific bargains that we can either freeze or use for todays meals. We are not vegans but we save plenty by not buying expensive lamb,beef etc. Sometimes I always stopped ;later around 4:00 PM when Woolies discounts there bakery items and roast chickens where we stock up ! 

Garry
Garry from QLD commented:

Discounts from Coles and Woolworths for Petrol Purchases are fake as a group of us pensioners checked out the various prices of food at many grocery and green grocery stores and found that the items can be bought cheaper at individual stores like Aldi,IGA and self owned stores.Hence those petrol vouchers you are getting at Coles and Woolworths are fake as the discount price is loaded onto their food items. 

Janelle
Janelle from QLD commented:

So nobody likes Friday Tuna surprise ?? This is the comment in tips to save on grocery bill. Well, then, I would like to comment that for some of us, and for our own financial reasons, that may be all there is to have. What an insensitive and ignorant comment 

Laurie
Laurie from NSW commented:

I make a shopping list but if I come across somethings on special and I know I will have to buy them in the next couple of weeks then I buy them because they normally return to normal price 

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