How to make the most of your energy bill offset
With the cost of living crunching household budgets, the State and Federal government energy bill offsets are music to many ears across WA.
To help you make with rising costs we’ve put together some useful tips and tricks to help eligible customers make the most of these payments and better manage their energy costs.
Stay on top of your bill
If you already pay your Synergy account by direct debit or by instalments, you might decide to keep doing this to stay on top of your future bills.
For many, electricity use is higher in the hottest and coldest parts of the year as use of heating and cooling systems, such as air conditioners, increases, leading to higher bills. After any eligible offset payment is applied to your account, if you can afford to keep making regular payments, we encourage you to do so to stay on top of your electricity costs.
If you need to modify your direct debit or instalment arrangement, you can do so in My Account.
Keep up your energy efficiency goals
Being more energy efficient is a win-win at all times, for your home and for the planet. It could be tempting to crank up the air-con or leave the lights on longer when there’s a bit of help towards your electricity costs, but consider that the more you can reduce your energy use, the further the electricity offset payment could go and the better for your overall impact on our planet!
Knowledge is power – literally!
The more you learn about what makes up your electricity bill, the easier it could be to make your energy bill offset payment really count. Understanding why your bill might spike could help you take steps to avoid a higher bill.
You could also view and monitor the application and the balance of any offset payments or credits in My Account. Synergy My Account is a secure online tool which can help give you more control of your electricity account. Once you’ve registered, you can use My Account from your phone, tablet, or computer, to manage many aspects of your Synergy account. If you don’t have My Account, your account balance will be displayed on your next bill.
Make the most of solar
If you have a solar PV system, you could help your offset payment stretch further by making some simple changes to how you use electricity during the day. For example, you might start using your washing machine, dishwasher or pool pump only during the day when the sun is shining to reduce the amount of power you draw from the electricity grid.
Call a household meeting
This could be the perfect time to call a household meeting and really think about how you use electricity and how you could reduce the amount you use.
For example, you could:
- Try some free or low-cost ways to reduce your electricity use at home
- Switch off your appliances on standby power to reduce the amount you use.
- Try some simple swaps to save energy in your home office, such as changing the type of lighting or office equipment you use.
- Create a home energy management action plan.
- Try our Energy Tips for even more energy-saving ideas.
Putting some of these tips into action in your home could help you make the most of the energy bill offset payment – and take control of your electricity use for future bills too. For more information on tips to help you save energy around the home, visit our Energy Tool.
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