The blog

The maths behind your power bill.

Running costs, paybacks and head-to-heads — in plain English, with the numbers shown. Is it worth it? We do the sums so you don’t have to.

Topics: Benchmarks Bills Explainer Heating & cooling Hot water Is it worth it Lighting Running costs Solar

AU Is it worth it

Is heat-pump hot water worth it? The payback maths

A heat-pump hot water system cuts water-heating energy by 70–75% and saves a typical Australian home about $500 a year. Whether it's worth it depends on one thing — when you buy it. Here's the honest working.

5 July 2026 Read →

AU Is it worth it

The Solar Sharer Offer: 3 free hours a day — but is the whole plan cheaper?

From 1 July, retailers in NSW, SE QLD and SA must offer a plan with 3 hours of free midday electricity. Who actually comes out ahead, what to shift into the window, and the one comparison that matters.

5 July 2026 Read →

AU Bills

What's a normal power bill for your household size? (Australia)

Regulator benchmark data puts a typical 4-person east-coast home at roughly $2,850 a year for electricity — about $700 a quarter. Here are the numbers by household size, and how to tell if yours is high.

4 July 2026 Read →

AU Bills

Power prices just fell — so why is your winter bill higher?

Default electricity offers dropped on 1 July in most states, yet winter bills are landing hundreds of dollars up. Three things changed at once — here's what they are and what's worth doing about each.

4 July 2026 Read →

AU Is it worth it

Are LED downlights worth switching to? The payback maths

Swapping 10 halogen downlights for LEDs saves a typical Australian home about $220 a year — and the changeover usually pays for itself inside a year. Here’s the working.

28 June 2026 Read →

AU Is it worth it

Is rooftop solar worth it in Australia? Payback explained

A 6.6kW rooftop solar system pays back in about 5 years in Australia — the sweet spot. Here’s the honest maths on savings, feed-in tariffs, and why a battery is a different decision.

24 June 2026 Read →

AU Running costs

How much does it cost to run ducted air conditioning in Australia?

Ducted reverse-cycle aircon costs a typical Australian home about $600–1,200 a year to run. Here’s the maths — and why replacing a working system to save energy rarely pays back.

18 June 2026 Read →