Going Off Grid Is Not The Way To Stick It To Your Electricity Company
By Finn Peacock
Chartered Electrical Engineer, Ex-CSIRO, Founder of SolarQuotes
How does your electricity company make you feel?
The other day, I had to talk a customer “off the ledge” who wanted to go completely off-grid with solar power and batteries in the suburbs – because they hated their electricity company that much.
They thought that daily supply charges, the cost of electricity per kWh, and the way they were treated by the company itself whenever they had to call them with an issue, was grounds for ‘divorce’.
If I only had a dollar for every time I spoke to someone who hated their electricity company that much…
You may have heard the phrase “cut off the nose to spite the face”.
This absolutely applies to the idea that spending $30,000 (or more!) to go off-grid is preferable to paying electricity bills – especially when a standard on-grid solar system can save you way more money and still let you stick it to your energy company by minimising the amount you pay them.
Electricity providers will gladly continue to charge your exorbitant rates with the knowledge that most people simply can’t be bothered to do anything about it. So don’t let yourself fall into that trap.
BUT… there are many things electricity companies can’t prevent you from doing.
They can’t prevent you from taking steps to make your home more energy-efficient.
They can’t prevent you from shopping around to find a better deal (like a better rate or lower daily supply charge).
They can’t keep you from engaging with my website to learn about solar power, and then getting quotes from reputable solar installers that I have personally pre-vetted.
If you’re considering solar panels AT ALL then you must be well-armed, because there are hidden levies of stupidity tax EVERYWHERE. It’s a minefield.
If you walk in blind, it’s like an 18 year old kid heading to a casino in Lost Wages… minus the girls and entertainment.
This is the purpose of my free “Solar 101” beginner’s guide – providing the know-how (in plain English) so the ordinary Aussie can feel comfortable taking the step of getting quotes for solar power systems.
You can read it here – enjoy!
About Finn Peacock
I’m a Chartered Electrical Engineer, solar and energy efficiency nut, electric car and e-bike owner, dad, and founder of SolarQuotes.com.au. My last “real job” was working for the CSIRO in their renewable energy division. Since 2009 more than 750,000 Australians have used my site to get quotes for high quality PV systems from pre-vetted solar installers.