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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 QLD commented:

It's all nice to say work longer, and most of us would like to, have you tried to get a job, when you have grey hair! It's an improbability, that you will get one. Let me know if there are any employers out there, who give an interview to an older person never mind giving one start. 

Allen
Allen from NSW commented:

How much longer do these people want us to work. Why not get some of the younger ones to start work. Younger ones complain they can't get jobs and these people want older people to work longer. What do they want us to work till we are ready to be put in the grave? 

Helen
Helen from NSW commented:

I think that baby boomers should be allowed to retire from age 60 onwards and draw the pension, whenever they feel they want or need to. This would free up some entry-level jobs for those on unemployment benefits, as current employees move up the ladder when retirees leave. I see no difference between paying a retiree a pension than paying an unemployed person a pension. After all, most 60 yo retirees have been working around 40 years and deserve to access the benefits currently being enjoyed by the unemployed, paid for by the employed! Retirees could also then access their superannuation, pumping more money into the economy. 

Gayle
Gayle from QLD commented:

That idea totally sucks. I cannot retire until I am eligible for the pension. I have worked my entire life since turning 15. I have never had unemployment or any other form of payment due to being unemployed. I don't want to work a day longer than when I turn 65. I think I will have earn't my retirement by then. I have paid taxes all that time. It will be about time I get to relax instead of enduring the stress at work. 

Robyn
Robyn from ACT commented:

After 15+ years of being sole carer of my husband who has a rare form of Motor neurone Disease, I am looking down into the future of working well into my 70's to pay off a mortgage that has grown substantially whilst caring. I have no choice, but I do not believe that other older Australians should be made to carry the burden of those who choose to stay on welfare when they are perfectly able to work. We all know they are out there. I know I am not the only one, but I am so tired. 

Pamela
Pamela from NSW commented:

I am one of the 'working poor'. I rent a house but will not be able to stay in it when I retire on the pension, even with rent assistance, BUT I have been told it is a 10 year waiting list for housing commission houses/units in my area. That means I will be 75 when I get a home - where do I live in the interim? A tent in the bush? Will there be a huge pool of homeless baby boomers forming communities in the bush? I have worked all my life and paid my taxes, and this is the best they can do! 

Someone
Someone from SA commented:

when is fifty up club coming to south Australia ? and why we need to work longer look at Germany just lowed the retirement age after putting it up years ago , the idea is to give work to the young 

nick
nick from QLD commented:

Why don't we cut the poly's pensions & benifiets they recieve after been in parliment for just one term.The family home has been paid for with money that has aiready been taxed.We've paid our dues it time for the next generation to step up & take responsibitly. 

Narelle
Narelle from QLD commented:

should the family home decrease the pension? No way! People have worked all their lives to get the home that they have wanted by saving and not squandering their money, so why should they have to move to be eligible for a pension that other people have collected for years when they were young enough to work. AND did not! 

Carol
Carol from NSW commented:

Why should we have to work longer, we have worked all our lives for retirement. Won't does she want us to do retire and then die, send all the bloodie lazy ones to work and them we can retirement with our pension like we should after so many years of paying our taxes, and supporting the ones that won't get off there asses and get a job. 

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