The results of a CHOICE national survey published in July last year made one thing perfectly clear – Australians were and are very concerned about rising energy costs.
In fact, we recorded the highest level of worry about electricity costs over the previous eight years in our quarterly check on how consumers are travelling.
The federal government is not blind to the issue, as evidenced by its inclusion of a $300 energy rebate for all households in the federal budget.
But how exactly does this rebate work? It's pretty straightforward, actually, although unfortunately it won't mean we'll be rolling in clover. But with inflation continuing to siphon off our bank accounts, every little bit helps.
One key point is that you won't actually see a cent of the government rebate money in your bank account.
Here's the three things you need to know
1. Every household in Australia is eligible for the rebate, but not every Australian. In other words, the rebate will be applied to a single power bill for each household, not to every person in that household.
2. Your power company is in charge of applying the $300 rebate, so you won't be receiving any government deposits in your account.
3. The rebate will be applied quarterly at $75 per quarter.
4. The rebate will be automatically applied as a credit on your energy bills, so you don't have to take any action to redeem it.
CHOICE tips: How to save on energy costs
Paying $75 less per quarterly energy bill for a year is certainly a welcome development, but there are a number of other steps you can take to decrease your energy costs, such as:
- getting the temperature settings right on your air conditioner
- finding the cheapest way to heat your home
- avoiding common home heating mistakes
- turning off your appliances at the power point
- choosing an energy-efficient home entertainment system
- avoiding power-hungry appliances
- making changes like draught-proofing your home, switching to LED lights, buying appliances with a good efficiency rating, and more.
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
