Latest news with #electricitybills
The Independent
23-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Plans for flexible energy tariffs to help households cut electricity bills
Households will be able to switch to flexible energy tariffs and use smart appliances to help cut electricity bills under plans set out by the Government. Energy minister Michael Shanks unveiled the next steps to give households and businesses more freedom and choice over how and when they use energy as part of aims to make savings of up to £70 billion in system costs by 2050. The Government wants to offer consumers new ways to take advantage of off-peak, lower electricity prices, through flexible tariffs and smart technology. This includes helping electric vehicle (EV) drivers get discounts on their electricity when using public chargers at off-peak times. It also plans to ensure suppliers make information on smart tariffs more accessible to consumers, while taking the next steps to offer tailored products and services based on electricity usage. The so-called Clean Flexibility Roadmap comes as part of the UK's net-zero aims, while also helping lower bills and boosting the resilience of the power network. Britain will need to shift towards more flexible energy use as the UK becomes more dependent on wind and solar power, such as charging EV batteries when wind is generating a lot of electricity. Mr Shanks said: 'This roadmap gives households and businesses the choice and control over when and how they use their energy. 'The flexible electricity system we are working to build will help make that a reality for consumers across the country, by supporting them to bring down their bills through using new tariffs and technologies. 'In this way we will protect working people's pockets and ensure they are the first to benefit from our clean power mission.' A flexibility commissioner will be appointed to lead the policy work, and an annual forum will be set up to track progress on the initiative. Akshay Kaul, Ofgem's director general for infrastructure group, said: 'A more flexible energy market will be a real game changer, giving households more control over what they pay for their energy. 'Small lifestyle tweaks such as programming a dishwasher or tumble dryer to run overnight when costs are low or charging your electric car during high winds can have a material impact on people's bills. 'At Ofgem we're opening up flexibility markets to bring better tariffs and products to consumers to make cheaper bills a reality.' The Government has also launched a two-month consultation looking at how more consumers can be supported to use energy flexibly.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Simple tactics millions of Aussies can use to save $470 on their winter energy bills
Australian households are about to be slugged with higher electricity bills as the new financial year price hikes start kicking in. But experts say there are a few simple tactics that could help cut bills by hundreds of dollars while still keeping warm this winter. Canstar Blue research found Aussies could save $470 this winter by doing things like cold machine washes, keeping the home airtight, opting for an electric blanket over a heater, and cutting down heater and shower time. Canstar Blue data insights director Sally Tindall told Yahoo Finance small changes could 'go a long way' in keeping your home warm without breaking the bank. RELATED Aussie mum's $1,200 electricity bill shock sparks warning for millions Centrelink's 'balancing' move could provide cash boost or expose debt Commonwealth Bank's fresh alert for millions over mass text message 'campaign' 'A couple of door snakes for $10 each at Kmart and $20 worth of weather seal from Bunnings can potentially end up saving you hundreds over the course of one winter just from sealing up the cracks and gaps in your home,' she said. 'Being selective about the rooms you want to heat is also key to keeping a lid on your electricity costs and keeping you warm. 'For those in the market for a new heater, find one that fits the room you are trying to heat. If you ask the impossible from your heater you'll just end up being both disappointed and cold.' Aussies could save $172 in winter by keeping their home airtight so the aircon runs at 90 per cent capacity, Canstar Blue's research found. Running a heater for six hours instead of eight could save $109, while doing cold machine washes only could save $88, given it uses roughly a third of the energy consumption of a hot wash. Opting for an electric blanket instead of a heater at night could save $52, with an electric blanket costing just $3 to run for one hour a night for 90 days, compared to $55 for running a heater. Meanwhile, cutting down from 10 minute showers to 3 minutes could save $49. Tindall said technology such as Wi-Fi enabled heaters, remote controls in blinds and devices that turn off heaters when the room hits a certain temperature could be helpful, along with heating yourself first. "I'm talking jumpers, trackies, slippers, even a beanie can be a lot more cost effective than reaching for the heater dial and end up saving you a couple hundred dollars by the end of the season," she said. Two in five Aussies surveyed by the comparison site said they were wearing as many pieces of warm clothing as they could to help cut their electricity bill this winter. Meanwhile, 42 per cent are trying to turn on the heater less, 32 per cent are doing cold laundry washes and 19 per cent are buying things like door snakes to keep their home airtight. Electricity price hikes hit Aussies Default electricity prices rose from July 1 in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT. Two of the country's biggest providers, Origin and AGL, also increased prices on their market plans for NSW, Queensland and South Australian customers, while Victorian and ACT customers will see the price hike from August. For the average household, these price hikes could add up to more than $200 to the average electricity bill. Tindall said switching providers could help provide relief. "The regulators might have approved price hikes of up to 9 per cent but some market-priced plans are seeing increases of over 30 per cent,' she said. 'Understand exactly how much your electricity plan is going up by and make a switch if there's a more competitive deal.' Data from Canstar found Sydney consumers could save $314 by switching from the average to the lowest annual cost plan, Melbourne consumers could save $325 and Brisbane consumers $397. In Adelaide, savings are $349, in Canberra they are $360 and in Hobart they are $100 annually. Households will have received a further $75 credit from the government in July, as part of the extension of the Energy Bill Relief fund. A further $75 credit will be delivered from in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
Forbes
18-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why Electricity Prices Are Rising And What You Can Do To Cut Costs
Symbolic light bulb with photo of high-voltage power lines, ascending arrows for design on theme of ... More energy industry, global energy crisis with rise in cost of energy carriers, inflation, energy saving Have you noticed a change in your electric bill lately? The National Energy Assistance Directors Association estimates that 2025 will be the most expensive year of the decade, with the average U.S. household expected to pay at least 6% more than in the previous year, and significantly more for others, depending on location and housing type. Multiple factors at play contribute to their bills becoming unmanageable. The most effective tips for mitigating rising electricity bills include updating your appliances and insulation, as well as unplugging electronics you aren't using. Let's start with the rising cost of natural gas and explore the reasons behind this increase. Natural gas accounts for approximately 40% of the electricity generated in the United States. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, exports of liquefied natural gas have increased to 12.9 billion cubic feet per day, a threefold rise. This means that we have a limited supply of natural gas in our country, which raises its price and, in turn, increases the cost of electricity produced by it. To make matters worse, those exports are expected to double in the next five years and depending on the energy policies we implement in the future, that number could double again. In the graph below, you can see what the EIA is projecting. U.S. LNG Exports The rise in electricity prices cannot be attributed solely to natural gas exports; multiple factors are contributing to this increase. The second factor is rising demand. New data centers and AI are expected to drive this demand, which, according to Rystad, is projected to grow at a rate of 4% annually. To put that in perspective, it is nearly double the rise in demand we experienced from 2000 to 2020. A single data center can use as much electricity as 80,000 homes, and by 2030, we are projected to add as much as 30 GW of electricity demand from data centers in the U.S. That is equivalent to the power generated by 30 nuclear reactors, solely for data centers. Fortunately, most of these data centers will build out some form of electricity generation to assist in powering the centers. In Pryor, Oklahoma, where Google is building a new data center, a new solar array will be built alongside it, and Google has agreed to purchase that power. What is yet to be seen is how the passage of HR1, commonly known as the Big Beautiful Bill, will impact these renewable power installations with data centers. Tax credits for wind and solar projects are being terminated for projects that are not complete by the end of 2027. At a time when electricity demand is growing at historic levels and is expected to continue doing so, we are making it harder to generate that electricity. Infrastructure Matters The most critical aspect of your lights coming on is the infrastructure that carries electricity to homes and businesses across the nation. However, 70% of transmission lines and distribution transformers are 30 years old, according to the Smart Electric Power Alliance. These transmission lines are now expected to face a 260% capacity demand increase by 2050 due to the growth of data centers, electric vehicles, and renewable energy. There are two pieces to this. When the infrastructure itself cannot meet demand, prices increase, as it is an essential part of the supply chain. Second, the cost of that new infrastructure is being passed on to us, the customers. According to the Cato Institute, grid costs now comprise up to 50% of your electric bill. In many areas, delivery costs have risen by nearly 70%. In my personal experience reviewing other people's electric bills over the last two years, delivery costs have been the most significant driver of their bill increases. Higher demand for an ageing grid in a specific area can increase bills dramatically. If that weren't enough, grids require digital upgrades for renewable energy, and the assistance for those upgrades is also being eliminated. All of this has resulted in electricity prices rising by over 6% per year since 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which averaged 1.6% during the previous hundred years. Here are some tips to help you save money on your electric bill. · Switch to LED Bulbs · Install a smart thermostat · Seal air leaks · Use Energy Star appliances · Set your AC to 78 degrees. Each degree lower increases cost by 6-8% · Lower the water heater to 120 degrees. · Use cold water for laundry · Unplug items you aren't using. · Leverage of off-peak hours. You can save hundreds of dollars a year by implementing some of these tips according to the Department of Energy. If you would like to maximize your potential savings, consider getting an energy audit done. Many utility companies offer this as a free service, and it could potentially save you up to 30% on your electric bills. If your utility company does not offer this free service, you may find a local professional that could do it for as little as a hundred dollars, just make sure they are accredited. If you are more of a do it yourself type individual you can download DIY energy assessments at
Japan Times
17-07-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Pakistan's quiet solar rush puts pressure on national grid
Pakistanis are increasingly ditching the national grid in favour of solar power, prompting a boom in rooftop panels and spooking a government weighed down by billions of dollars of power sector debt. The quiet energy revolution has spread from wealthy neighborhoods to middle- and lower-income households as customers look to escape soaring electricity bills and prolonged power cuts. Down a cramped alley in Pakistan's megacity of Karachi, residents fighting the sweltering summer heat gather in Fareeda Saleem's modest home for something they never experienced before — uninterrupted power. "Solar makes life easier, but it's a hard choice for people like us," she says of the installation cost. Saleem was cut from the grid last year for refusing to pay her bills in protest over enduring 18-hour power cuts. A widow and mother of two disabled children, she sold her jewellery — a prized possession for women in Pakistan — and borrowed money from relatives to buy two solar panels, a solar inverter and battery to store energy, for 180,000 rupees ($630). Arsalan Arif, a local businessman, cleans solar panels installed on his house's rooftop in Pakistan's port city of Karachi on June 24. | AFP-JIJI As temperatures pass 40 degrees Celsius, children duck under Saleem's door and gather around the breeze of her fan. Mounted on poles above homes, solar panels have become a common sight across the country of 240 million people, with the installation cost typically recovered within two to five years. Making up less than 2% of the energy mix in 2020, solar power reached 10.3% in 2024, according to the global energy think tank Ember. But in a remarkable acceleration, it more than doubled to 24% in the first five months of 2025, becoming the largest source of energy production for the first time. It has edged past gas, coal and nuclear electricity sources, as well as hydropower, which has seen hundreds of millions of dollars of investment over the past decades. As a result, Pakistan has unexpectedly surged towards its target of renewable energy, making up 60% of its energy mix by 2030. Dave Jones, chief analyst at Ember, said that Pakistan was "a leader in rooftop solar." 'The great Solar rush' Soaring fuel costs globally, coupled with demands from the International Monetary Fund to slash government subsidies, led successive administrations to repeatedly hike electricity costs. Prices have fluctuated since 2022 but peaked at a 155% increase, and power bills sometimes outweigh the cost of rent. Solar panels are seen installed across the rooftops of a residential neighborhood in Karachi on June 24. | AFP-JIJI "The great solar rush is not the result of any government's policy push," said Muhammad Basit Ghauri, an energy transition expert at Renewables First. "Residents have taken the decision out of clear frustration over our classical power system, which is essentially based on a lot of inefficiencies." Pakistan sources most of its solar equipment from neighboring China, where prices have dropped sharply, largely driven by overproduction and tech advancements. But the fall in national grid consumers has crept up on an unprepared government burdened by $8 billion of power sector debt, analysts say. Pakistan depends heavily on costly gas imports, which it sells at a loss to national energy providers. It is also tied into lengthy contracts with independent power producers, including some owned by China, for which it pays a fixed amount regardless of actual demand. A government report in March said the solar power increase has created a "disproportionate financial burden onto grid consumers, contributing to higher electricity tariffs and undermining the sustainability of the energy sector." A local resident cleans a solar panel installed on his house's rooftop in Karachi on June 23. | AFP-JIJI Electricity sales dropped 2.8% year-on-year in June, marking a second consecutive year of decline. Last month, the government imposed a new 10% tax on all imported solar, while the energy ministry has proposed slashing the rate at which it buys excess solar energy from consumers. 'Disconnected from the public "The household solar boom was a response to a crisis, not the cause of it," said analyst Jones, warning of "substantial problems for the grid" including a surge during evenings when solar users who cannot store energy return to traditional power. The national grid is losing paying customers like businessman Arsalan Arif. A third of his income was spent on electricity bills at his Karachi home until he bought a 10-kilowatt solar panel for around 1.4 million rupees (around $4,900). "Before, I didn't follow a timetable. I was always disrupted by the power outages," he said. Now he has "freedom and certainty" to continue his catering business. In the eastern city of Sialkot, safety wear manufacturer Hammad Noor switched to solar power in 2023, calling it his "best business decision," breaking even in 18 months and now saving 1 million rupees every month. The cost of converting Noor's second factory has now risen by nearly 1.5 million rupees under the new government tax. "The tax imposed is unfair and gives an advantage to big businesses over smaller ones," he said. "Policymakers seem completely disconnected from the public and business community."
Malay Mail
16-07-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Pakistan's great solar escape: Households flee the grid, spooking debt-laden government
KARACHI, July 17 — Pakistanis are increasingly ditching the national grid in favour of solar power, prompting a boom in rooftop panels and spooking a government weighed down by billions of dollars of power sector debt. The quiet energy revolution has spread from wealthy neighbourhoods to middle- and lower-income households as customers look to escape soaring electricity bills and prolonged power cuts. Down a cramped alley in Pakistan's megacity of Karachi, residents fighting the sweltering summer heat gather in Fareeda Saleem's modest home for something they never experienced before — uninterrupted power. 'Solar makes life easier, but it's a hard choice for people like us,' she says of the installation cost. Saleem was cut from the grid last year for refusing to pay her bills in protest over enduring 18-hour power cuts. A widow and mother of two disabled children, she sold her jewellery — a prized possession for women in Pakistan — and borrowed money from relatives to buy two solar panels, a solar inverter and battery to store energy, for 180,000 rupees (RM2,675). As temperatures pass 40°Celsius, children duck under Saleem's door and gather around the breeze of her fan. Mounted on poles above homes, solar panels have become a common sight across the country of 240 million people, with the installation cost typically recovered within two to five years. Making up less than two per cent of the energy mix in 2020, solar power reached 10.3 per cent in 2024, according to the global energy think tank Ember. But in a remarkable acceleration, it more than doubled to 24 per cent in the first five months of 2025, becoming the largest source of energy production for the first time. It has edged past gas, coal and nuclear electricity sources, as well as hydropower which has seen hundreds of millions of dollars of investment over the past decades. As a result, Pakistan has unexpectedly surged towards its target of renewable energy, making up 60 per cent of its energy mix by 2030. Dave Jones, chief analyst at Ember, told AFP that Pakistan was 'a leader in rooftop solar'. 'The great Solar rush' Soaring fuel costs globally, coupled with demands from the International Monetary Fund to slash government subsidies, led successive administrations to repeatedly hike electricity costs. Prices have fluctuated since 2022 but peaked at a 155-per cent increase and power bills sometimes outweigh the cost of rent. 'The great solar rush is not the result of any government's policy push,' Muhammad Basit Ghauri, an energy transition expert at Renewables First, told AFP. 'Residents have taken the decision out of clear frustration over our classical power system, which is essentially based on a lot of inefficiencies.' Pakistan sources most of its solar equipment from neighbouring China, where prices have dropped sharply, largely driven by overproduction and tech advancements. But the fall in national grid consumers has crept up on an unprepared government burdened by US$8 billion of power sector debt, analysts say. Pakistan depends heavily on costly gas imports, which it sells at a loss to national energy providers. It is also tied into lengthy contracts with independent power producers, including some owned by China, for which it pays a fixed amount regardless of actual demand. A government report in March said the solar power increase has created a 'disproportionate financial burden onto grid consumers, contributing to higher electricity tariffs and undermining the sustainability of the energy sector'. Electricity sales dropped 2.8 per cent year-on-year in June, marking a second consecutive year of decline. Last month, the government imposed a new 10-per cent tax on all imported solar, while the energy ministry has proposed slashing the rate at which it buys excess solar energy from consumers. 'Disconnected from the public 'The household solar boom was a response to a crisis, not the cause of it,' said analyst Jones, warning of 'substantial problems for the grid' including a surge during evenings when solar users who cannot store energy return to traditional power. The national grid is losing paying customers like businessman Arsalan Arif. A third of his income was spent on electricity bills at his Karachi home until he bought a 10-kilowatt solar panel for around 1.4 million rupees. 'Before, I didn't follow a timetable. I was always disrupted by the power outages,' he told AFP. Now he has 'freedom and certainty' to continue his catering business. In the eastern city of Sialkot, safety wear manufacturer Hammad Noor switched to solar power in 2023, calling it his 'best business decision', breaking even in 18 months and now saving 1 million rupees every month. The cost of converting Noor's second factory has now risen by nearly 1.5 million rupees under the new government tax. 'The tax imposed is unfair and gives an advantage to big businesses over smaller ones,' he said. 'Policymakers seem completely disconnected from the public and business community.' — AFP
