Back to the Dark Ages: Learning to Live Without Electricity By James Reed
Electricity prices are set to skyrocket, along with inflation of all other goods like food and essentials. But, don’t worry the government is working full time on more important things like the Voice referendum. As such, even if I was in favour of a “yes,” I would still vote “NO” in protest.
For many of us, struggling on the pension, or Newstart, or working for a pittance, crumbs from the Great Greedy, it will mean getting the power turned off; no light, no hot water. It can be done, I grew up tough like this as a kid on the farm. But for most city slickers, life going back to the Dark Ages, will be tough and …dark! But, we can learn how to survive without electricity from the Amish:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Living-Without-Electricity-Stephen-Scott/dp/093467261X
“Thousands of Aussie households will be slugged with higher electricity bills, with prices set to soar by up to 30 per cent from July 1.
The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) released its draft determination on electricity prices today, which acts as a price cap and will impact Aussies on default contracts in New South Wales, South-East Queensland and South Australia.
NSW households will face increases of between 20.9 and 23.7 per cent, Queensland residents will see increases of 19.5-19.8 per cent, while those in South Australia will see increases of 21.3-21.8 per cent.
Victoria’s Essential Services Commission (ESC) also released its draft decision today and proposed a 30 per cent increase for households. The ESC said a typical household would see their bills increase from $1,403 to around $1,829 per year - a jump of roughly $426.
These changes only directly apply to Aussies on the default offer, however the determination acts as a benchmark for other retailers. There are around 600,000 people on the default offer in NSW, South-East Queensland and South Australia, and around 400,000 Victorian households are on the default offer.
AER chair Clare Savage told ABC’s Radio National the price hikes could have been even worse - 40-50 per cent - had the government not intervened with gas and coal price caps.
The energy regulator’s final decision will be announced in May, and change will come into effect on July 1.
3 ways to save
Joel Gibson, author of Kill Bills and Easy Money, said it was a double blow for Aussies who had already copped price hikes this year.
“Millions of Australians already had a rate hike in February and March, now we are being told rates are going up by 20 to 30 per cent, on average, in July,” Gibson told Yahoo Finance.
“This year, prices are going to go up more than once, so we need to be prepared to switch more than once.””
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