Six major tips on how to Get saving for your gas plans

With the rising costs of energy in Australia, it’s the perfect time to review your energy use at home. Using gas appliances can make you reduce your gas bill and save money.

Check out our top tips on where you can start saving now:

Hot water

According to the Australian Government’s Your Home guide, approximately 21% of a typical household’s energy use comes from heating water. Finding ways to reduce the amount of water you use at home could immediately help you reduce your gas bill. Here are some ideas to consider:

1. Temperature

Often, the hot water that comes out of your taps is mixed with cold to bring it to an ideal temperature for showering or doing laundry. Lowering the thermostat on the gas hot water system to a more ideal temperature can reduce your gas usage and this can help you reduce your gas bill.

2. Hot water system

Nearly half of all hot water systems in Australia use gas to heat the water. These days, you can choose from two main types of gas hot water systems: Storage and Instantaneous

Gas storage systems keep water heated in an insulated storage tank for use whenever needed, while instantaneous systems heat water as it is used.

 

3. Water efficiency ratings

When buying or upgrading an appliance, taking note of the water rating label can save you money. The Australian Government regulates products under the Water Efficiency Labeling and Standards scheme. Buying appliances with a star rating may help you save money on your gas bill.

4. Heat loss

Even though hot water storage tanks are insulated, they still waste about 30% of energy used through heat loss. Insulating the hot water pipes attached to the system can help to reduce this and save you money – better yet, try switching to an instantaneous system?

5. Dishwashers

Dishwashers often have an economy mode that washes your dishes at a lower temperature. Try using this mode to save more money on water heating and make sure to only turn the dishwasher on when it’s full. When buying a dishwasher, be sure to check the water rating labels and choose one with a better rating.

6. Washing machines

Washing your clothes with heated water may cost more but switching to cold can easily save you money, while still effectively cleaning your clothes. If you prefer to use heated water, always match the water level to the size of the load and try to only wash your clothes when the machine is full.

7. Showering

Using less hot water in the bathroom may reduce your Compare gas bill. Simply having showers instead of baths, have shorter showers and fix any dripping taps immediately. You could also save over $300 per year just by choosing a low-flow shower head.

Gas cooking

Here are our top tips to save on your gas cooking:

8. Ovens

Recipes that call for preheating usually have electric ovens in mind, as they take longer to heat up. By keeping it directly on the flame, a gas oven heats up fast, so you can usually skip the preheating stage and save gas in the process.

When heat escapes while you’re cooking, it increases the amount of gas needed to cook your food. Keeping the oven door closed during cooking helps to keep heat contained.

9. Stove tops

Simply making sure pot lids fit snugly when boiling water can reduce the amount of gas you use. By using round bottom pans may allow the flame to more efficiently heat the food. Why not try turning the gas off just before the food is cooked and allow the residual heat to finish the cooking process.

Expert’s guidance on Energy while Moving House

Moving house can be a complicated time, when it comes to arranging your gas and electricity supplier. There are a few things that you should make sure that you do before moving house, to ensure that your transition goes as smoothly as possible go through this article once.

Before you move

Get in touch with your current provider

It is important to let your Compare gas and electricity company know that you’re moving house. You are required to inform them at least 48-72 hours before you move.

You should also try and find out whether or not you are required to pay any cancellation fees, although there are several suppliers who won’t charge for this like Power shop, Energy Australia etc.

Your current gas and electricity provider will probably want to know if you wish to continue using them at your new property. However we advise you to take some time to explore and compare between different providers.

Find out which all providers supplies to your new address with gas and electricity

One way that you can do this is you can directly open our comparison website and put the details and check which all providers are available in your area.

Another way that you can do this is just by asking the tenants who lived there before you or your neighbors.

Or else you’ll need to call on the number that is specifically dedicated to your area for the supply of electricity and gas.

During your move

Whilst moving house can be a very stressful time, you should still take care to take a few simple steps when it comes to your gas and electricity. This will save you a lot of time and money later on.

You should make sure that you take a final meter reading before you move. Doing this will allow you to ensure that you are not overcharged on your energy bill whenever you receive that next.

After your move

 Once you’ve moved into your new house, there are just a few more things that you should do before you’re all done.

The first thing that you should do in your new property is take a new meter reading. This means that you will receive an accurate first bill.

You should also note that you will be charged for all the energy that has been used since you took ownership of the property, not just since the day you actually moved in.

Normally energy suppliers will put you on their standard variable tariff automatically from the point that you move in. This standard tariff will generally be much higher than the other rates that you could be paying, so it’s important to switch your plan as soon as possible in order to get the best energy deal, and to avoid paying unnecessarily high bills.

Now that you have a new postcode and you have information on your current energy supplier, you’re ready to run a price comparison.

Simply put this information into our free energy comparison website and in minutes you’ll be able to see how you could be saving money on your gas and electricity bills.

The energy comparison service that we offer is both free and impartial, you can rest assured that if there’s a way you could be saving money with a different deal, then we will find it for you.

Five questions to ask your electricity and gas providers

Asking the right questions from your energy provider will help you save on your current Electricity and Gas bills.

Shopping for an energy plan can be an overwhelming experience, where deregulation of the energy industry means the average consumer has around 2,000 Compare energy plans to choose from.Unfortunately, some of those plans are downright duds, full of hidden fees and “green” energy that isn’t really green at all. Below are the five questions to ask your energy provider to ensure that are you getting all what you are paying for.

Can the customer have a look at how much energy he use in real-time?

Most of the people are shocked when they receive their first compare energy bill. Many of the thousands of plans are available on Australian Energy Regulators website and are pretty vague about how much they actually charge each month. Energy companies tier their rates based on how many kilowatt hours (kWh) consumers use. The problem is, most consumers have no clue how many hours they’re using, leaving a lot of guesswork around the exact rate they’re paying. The usage can also be changed from season to season or during severe weather, like a drought or heat wave. By knowing how much energy you are actually using daily, you may be able to change your habits and manage your energy spends in a better way.

Why is the customer’s bill higher than the rates advertised on provider’s website?

If your usage amount is the same or have just a minimal difference from the estimated cost that is advertised on the provider’s website then your bill will be the same as mentioned. But if your usage falls outside that very specific amount - then your estimated cost may decrease and vice-versa.

Therefore, your bill will differ based on your actual usage.

What are all these extra fees?

Think you’ve found the perfect plan? Don’t sign on the dotted line before you’ve read the fine print. Many energy companies tack on hidden fees for things like calls to customer service or mailing out disconnection notices.

These little fees are essentially a substitute for providing good customer service, and though they’re small, they can add up too much higher rates than those listed. Review your bill carefully, or check your usage time-to-time, to make sure you’re not paying a premium for add-ons that amount to very little.

What happens if my new supplier increases its prices or changes contract terms?

From the next meter reads or billing period you will be charged updated rates and as per the contract terms they may define the benefit period of the new plan according to their policies.

In that case, customer can switch to any other provider for better prices and plans according to their consumptions.

Customer first will receive the final bill from his current provider and then he will receive the next bill from his/her new provider.

 

Can I cancel a contract once I have applied for it?

After signing up to a new supplier through our website, if you change your mind you can cancel the contract during your standard 10-days cooling-off period and stay with your current/previous provider with the same benefits.

After the cooling-off period expires, you can still cancel the contract at any time without paying any cancellation fees since there is no lock-in contract.

Biggest mistakes you should avoid when switching energy providers

If you are thinking about switching energy suppliers because you are looking for a cheaper tariff or you are just fed up with your current supplier then you need to read this first. It may help you save even more on your gas and electric bills.

How much can I save if I switch?

It takes no more than 5 minutes to do a comparison if you have your latest bill or statement from your current energy supplier in hand.

Most people who switch, especially those on a supplier’s standard energy tariff can usually save hundreds. If you tend to check a couple of times a year than you are likely to be on a more competitive tariff already so the savings are unlikely to be as good unless your current supplier has decided to hike up their prices then it's time to look elsewhere.

Whilst most of the claims are backed up their data samples are usually based on 10% of consumers performing a comparison.

The only real way of seeing how much you can save is punching your numbers into an energy comparison website such as Econnex and comparing your specific circumstances.

 

I've only recently switched and my energy supplier has just increased their prices?

 

If you are on a fixed tariff the cost you pay for the tariff will not increase, however you pay a higher rate for fixed compared to variable. A variable rate can increase at any time but your supplier has to give you 30 days notice giving you enough time to switch to a cheaper tariff. Variable tariff do not usually incur exit or leaving fees.

Generally if you are switching from a standard tariff to a variable rate than any tariff increase your new supplier will announce will not usually make you worse off than you would have been on a Big 6 standard tariff.

How do I know that I've got the cheapest deal?

 

The only sure way of knowing that you have the best possible deal is by making sure that your energy pricing comparison is the most comprehensive. It means using energy price comparison sites that compare the widest range of tariffs, the larger the comparison sites tariff database the cheaper your quotes will be.

I've recently switched and was in credit with my old supplier, how long is it going to take to get my money back?

 

It depends on how slow your old energy company is but from initiating a switch until the money appears back into your bank account it can take 12 weeks on the long side.

Some are much quicker than others but the process is that once your new supplier and old supplier agree on the final meter readings your old supplier will issue a final statement.

Once your final statement has been issued your old supplier will refund any credit balance due which tends to take up to a week from this point.

I'm worried about switching, what if something goes wrong?

Once a switch is initiated there are generally no problems and the switching process is smooth.

You will however never be left without a gas or electricity supply due to the switching process.