Just a little warning for anyone who has, or is thinking of changing their electricity supplier.

I changed supplier 4 months ago, & have received my first bill from the new supplier. I am very pleased at the dramatic reduction in my electricity charges, but noticed that my pensioner concession discount was not applied.

The supplier advised me these concessions do not transfer between suppliers, & have to be re-established with any new supplier. The concession in Qld is about $70 a quarter, so worth having.

So to any oldies, if recently changed electricity supplier, make sure you establish your eligibility for any age or disability concession you are entitled to with your new supplier. It only applies after you have established your eligibility, so do it soon.

This shopping around for better electricity deals is an illusion. Something the busies tell us to do to make it look as if they care and want to help us out. After three investigations into everything, including ALL charges, not just the you beaut discounts, I've decided to stick with AGL. I have never paid anywhere near the average quarterly charges that are shown on comparison sites. And I've seen too many people complaining that costs have risen after the initial agreement with the supposedly better retailer. And, you have to go through the bulldust of reclaiming your pensioner concession. Too much stress for this old fogie. It's all too good to be true. Ignore the discounts. Check the kwph charge.

Hasbeen I got mine, and the best deal ever
True meaningful cuts to price
May try threatening to leave, worked for me

My current bill is less than half for the same period last year, & that's without the concession. We have used more air conditioning, this year as the hot spell came in earlier than last year.

AGL is the one planning on shutting down a coal fired powerhouse, because they get more money for their wind power. I would not do business with them no matter what the price. They are throwing the sprat to catch the mackerel, watch your back.

Has the cost per kWH been reduced? Has the supply charge per day been reduced? What were these charges previously, and what are they now?

if the bill is cut in half why the question, how can it matter?

It's a simple question you seem reluctant to answer. If your bills have been “cut in half”, and you haven't used half the electrify you normally used, the price has to have been reduced by half. So, what was the price per kWH before your miraculous halving of the bill, and what is it now? Did they also halve the supply charge? You surely must be able to read the price you are paying for electricity. It is printed on your account in cents per kWH. The service charge is shown in cents per day as well.

TTBN & Belly I did this post as a public service to advise anyone changing suppliers they must re-establish any concession discounts with a new supplier.

I haven't bothered comparing rates, but just for you TTBN the current rates

$0.247/kWh
$0.1989/kWh, controlled supply, [hot water].
$1.172 per day service.

My bill, after on time discount for 89 days,

$676.40 Yes country properties use a lot of power. A couple of hundred of that would be for the totally independent granny flat my son is currently using.

Last year it was $1400 for 2% less usage. That is why I went looking for another supplier.

Hasbeen I understand and in fact agree with you, we all need to understand just how badly we have been treated buy SOME suppliers

Not near understanding why the question, if your bill is less, need be asked lack of understanding?
EVERY power user should demand a better deal or find another supplier
It worked for me and Hasbeen

Hasbeen,

Thanks for that. You don't say what your previous rates were, and those rates are ALL that matters. They are rarely mentioned (never by the retailers). The touts, who don't actually generate or supply electricity, but who just shuffle paper in the name of 'competition’, just offer discounts if their account is paid by the due date, proving that they are charging too much in the first place. There is no intention of reducing the price of electricity.

While you see my point and know how to read your account, Belly is still floundering and blustering in his usual manner to hide his ignorance and lack of ability to read his accounts. He cannot answer the simple question you have.

His claim of “True meaningful cuts to price” cannot be taken seriously if he cannot come up with actual reductions in the price of electricity. He is probably getting the same 'deal’ as every other man and his dog is - a rather insulting ‘discount’ if he pays his bill on time, which he probably does anyway.

In Queensland, Hasbeen, you probably have more choice than I do in South Australia (where our new Liberal government has so far proved to be no more adept than the 16 year old Labor one was). Here, the choice seems to be between AGL and one other. AGL offers 15% discount on electricity, the other 21%. However, AGL's cost per kWH is lower. For me, if wasn't worth going through the rigamarole of change, particularly with the extra burden (which the knowalls don't mention) of having to deal with bureaucrats to re-establish concessions

MATHEMATICS big word simple meaning
IF for the same use Hasbeens Bill has halved
How can the things that make it up not be lower too
By the way saying without evidence Hasbeen understands you point of view, points to a weakness
Rant on, but do you come here to express views or insult just about every one?
Find sanity, any brief sign of it, in your question.
Forgive me
But your posts in this thread point to a lack of understanding of this subject and just about anything

Still can't come up with an answer, Belly. There is no way you can hide the stupid, ignorant creature you are. You are too thick to bother with: a typical example of the person with the least knowledge always having then most to say.

PS

If you don't want to be 'insulted' don't poke your nose into discussions between other people. This is Hasbeen's post, and I was responding to him. My question was addressed to him, not to you. I have no interest in you or your ignorant opinions. I have learned not give you any opportunity to whine and whinge, and play the victim whenever you are shown up as a fool.

I TRULY BELIEVE IN ANOTHER PLACE YOU WOULD BE BANNED
without doubt you have some difficulties with the real world
I have no sympathy for you, but wonder if your child like stuff is a benefit to open discussion here
Hasbeen and I clash, often but your use of him to hide your not being able to understand if his bill was halved surely your question is unwise?
I do not think you have the right to claim any thread is your property or in this case a private conversation, what got a bee in your bonnet more than one me thinks
Hasbeen thanks your well intentioned thread is private so I must leave not because of you but the threads apparent owner

We used to be with AGL - but were very dissatisfied
with their service and we switched a few years now
to - "Red Energy." A 100% Australian owned and operated
company here in Victoria. We get a 10% "Pay On Time"
Discount. Which does make a difference in the long term.
We've had no problems with them at all. Great people to
deal with.

Foxy,

I currently get 15% from AGL.

ttbn,

Thanks for that.

However, that's probably because AGL has learned
from the way that they used to treat their
customers. They've now upped the anti. They lost
quite a few customers, at least here in Victoria.
For us to change again now - would not be worth it.
We're very happy with who we've currently got.
I'm happy for you though.

Ttbn, Pse don't be so snappy. AGL will not be popular in NSW if they close Liddel.
The loss of 800Mw will mean after QLD makes up the loss
Victoria will go short as much of their topup supply comes from Qld.

Bazz,

I don't actually like AGL. In SA it used to be the government owned ETSA, until an incompetent premier, John Olsen, sold it off to a Chinaman who is now the 15th richest person in the world, to pay off government debt. There was no choice. None of this now BS artificial 'competition’. Electricity was an essential utility, and reasonably priced. Eventually, of course, some bureaucrat conned the idiot political class into turning an essential service into a money-making concern for rich people to make more money - bloody foreigners at that!

However, the real reasons for ridiculously high power prices in Australia are government incompetence and the climate change/unreliable alternatives to coal power scams. The only way out is to return power (and all essential services) to public ownership. I'm all for private enterprise in consumer goods and services, but selling off essential services to dodgy businessmen is reckless and bordering on criminal. Governments have no business selling off that which belongs to the people.

It is hard these days to pick which group of crooks is the most dangerous: the political class or big business

// We have used more air conditioning, this year as the hot spell came in earlier than last year.//

hasy could you be suffering from global warming.

Here in Victoria we have the highest churn rate of any state, that is people shopping around and switching providers, with over a quarter of us changing each year. It was claimed to be the highest in the world.

Not only that in other states the top 3 retailers have over 75% of the market share but here in Victoria it is about 60%.

Added to that we are lucky to have one of the more progressive state governments. Last year they introduced a $50 cash incentive for people to compare their bills and created an “independent Victorian Government energy price comparison site” for them to do so without any kickbacks involved, something that plagues many of the other comparison sites.

As a Victorian Foxy if you haven't done so already it takes about 20 minutes and at $50 it is worth the time.
http://compare.energy.vic.gov.au/start

If we have to have a competitive market for our electricity then the worst thing you can do is sit on your hands and say it is all too hard to compare providers. Granted the bastards make it difficult sometimes but it is worth the exercise and it is the intelligent thing to do.

hasy could you be suffering from global warming.

Posted by Paul1405, Monday, 17 December 2018 8:02:18 AM.

No Paul, as I said the warm spell came early this year. But to spoil your hopes, it then got colder. It is so cool this year that I haven't even taken the cover off the swimming pool.

Dear Paul,

Old Hasbeen's right. This year's highest November temperature in his neck of the woods this year was only 7th highest since the station's records starting from the mid 50s.

It was in 2016 that all November records for 60 years were smashed with a 38.6 degree day.

That wasn't all. In the same year the both June and July took out the highest records for each particular month as well.

And then last year January, March and September also blew away previous records from the last 6 decades.

So the previous two years saw six of the highest temperatures recorded in a particular month since records began at the weather station.

Apparently nothing to worry about really.

Actually Steele there is significant co-incidence in that many days
have zero sunspot numbers. Radio HF conditions have been terrible for
several years now. It was nothing like this in the 50s & 60s even
during the lows of the 11 year cycle.
This low count was common during the Maunder Minimum.
Commentary on TV recently said that scientists have connected low
sunspot counts with Solar cooling.
Perhaps we should burn more coal !