 Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me. |
Forum Index : Off topic archive. : Power Increase
| Author | Message | ||||
| VK4AYQ Guru  Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi All I was watching the late news on the ABC last night and a short segment popped up, and announcement that the energy commissioner has approved a 25% increase in electricity prices in the new year. While I was expecting an increase of this magnitude and not surprised, I watched the news this evening and not a word about it, it seems that they are hiding it for the moment. With the increases in interest rates council recourse charges and water and now another electricity cost increase it is becoming harder to survive in the good old Aussie lifestyle. I hope everyone has taken advantage of the solar incentive and solar HWS subsidy as we are sure going to need it. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
||||
JimBo911 Senior Member  Joined: 26/03/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 262 |
VK4AYQ Welcome to the club, a club called (Bend Over and Take It) Same thing going on here in the states you name it it cost more now then yesterday. I could use up a lot of space naming all the price increases here. The thing that gets me the most is that the prices I charge for the services I perform have remained the same and in fact decreased. More difficult now to make a living now then I can ever remember. Another reason to go Green. Jim |
||||
| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Jim We are being squeezed from all sides with price increases, but as you say income is reduced, there will come a time when we cant live as we have in the past and need to look at all alternatives for transport and personal food production, I really feel sorry for people in the cities, last night in the news there was a segment where people where lining up for hand out food, over 6000 and again today, the ones they interviewed said that after living expenses there wasnt money for food, not all where unemployed just not enough money. Thats in Brisbane a reasonably well off location. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
||||
Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5116 |
Yeah the price rise is going to suck for sure. But I agree its needed if it means we go to greener power generation, and a few changes in lifestyle will reduce the increase to nill anyway. Up here in the tropics, air conditioning is the big expense. And its the way houses are built now thats the biggest problem. When I grew up we lived in what we called "Queenslanders", a high set house with wide verandas, high ceilings and lots of ventilation under the house, with a big yard and low fences between yards to let the breeze flow. It was a cool design, and not affecting by flooding. These days the new "in style" houses are on small blocks of land with 8 foot high fences that block the wind, they have no eves or verandas, and are build on the ground so suffer flood damage. They are so hot, the owners have no choice but to air condition, and that adds $1000 per year to the power bill. They are the ones who will suffer most from power rate rises, but they also chose to live in that style of house! Fact is, it would be easy for most people to offset the power rate rise by making a few changes in life style. Easy things, like turning off the appliances at the wall when not using them, getting rid of those horrid 50Watt down lights, and who really needs a 2nd fridge in the garage to keep a bottle of water cool anyway! We talk about the power rate rises at my work from time to time, and its the ones with the 2nd or 3rd fridge, several TV's all on standby, 50watt downlights, PC's left on all the time, etc, that complain the most. Fact is, the days of cheap electricity and fuel have gone, we need to adapt cause complaining isn't going to do anything. Investing now in solar, and making a few changes in the way we build and light our homes, is all we need to do. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
||||
| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Glenn I agree that power can be conserved to a point but the need for airconditioning in our little dog boxes we now call houses is the problem, like you I suffer the tropic heat as its been 36 deg for the last three days, but I wont turn the AC on due to cost at 60 cents an hour, and am trying to condition myself to the heat. In the concrete jungle they call towns and cities they have made the blocks so small and the houses so big there isnt any natural ventilation any more, at least I can go sit under a tree in the breeze without being mugged. The solar is a good thing if the house is solar friendly and the occupants are trained to fit in the circumstances otherwise it is a waste of time and money. People expect to much from their lifestyle these days and then winge at the cost of supporting it. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
||||
| Gizmo Admin Group Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5116 |
Yeah I agree Bob. 30 plus years ago we didn't have air conditioning, yet some how we survived. We got used to it, and like you said, sat under a tree when it got too hot. Our forefathers would call us a bunch of sissies for complaining about the costs of keeping cool. I have air conditioning here, but I never use it during the day, simply because it costs too much and I dont really need it. Electricity, like fuel, is a luxury. We dont need it, honestly, and most people on this planet dont have it. But it is very nice to have. It means we can have better food, more comfortable homes and travel distances very cheaply. In the past its been so cheap that we changed our lives to suit, but now its starting to cost more and we need to make changes. Dont get me wrong, I'm not suggesting we go back to the trees. But fact is its going to cost more to live in the future, cause its been so cheap in the past. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
||||
| windlight Guru Joined: 03/03/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 331 |
Increasing food costs will dwarf increased energy costs, and not all because retailers are greedy, Australia will soon not be able to feed it's self. allan "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - (Act II, Scene IV). |
||||
| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Alan and Glenn There are a lot of things we have taken for granted over the last fifty years, and the young people now have never experienced the harder times we had and it will be a real shock to them as the future unfolds, Australia is surviving on it's export products at the moment but in a very few years that will decrease as world markets saturate. The food issue at the moment is a serious one but could be correcter in a couple of years if a dire need arose, we used to be a food exporter but now a gross importer, mainly so greedy commercial interests can make more profit from poverty driven products, they call it a market driven economy, but when the money dries up people will revert to local food production for themselves. The real worry is the feral drug infested 20 % of the population, what will they do when the economy recesses. The big thing we have on our side is Australians ability to improvise and innovate. Interesting times ahead. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
||||
| JimBo911 Senior Member Joined: 26/03/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 262 |
The VERY RICH have DEFINITELY gotten a lot richer off the backs regular folks. I have PV, Solar Thermo and of course Wind at my place when people ask me why I do this I say (I do this stuff so I can tell THE MAN to get lost I don't need you as much as the next guy)it's good to be GREEN.  Jim |
||||
| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Jim Way to go mate, if we could encourage more people to do the same it would be a wonderful thing, an independent lifestyle removes the stress of dealing with idiots in the service industry that see us as a number to extract money from, and the more the better. The old day lifestyle is a far better way to go, I remember when we went to town once every three months to get a bit of shopping, the rest was made or grown on the property, including electricity. It was a bit of work but everyone was happy and healthy. The problem is now that we have become addicted to must have gadgets made in China that break and must be replaced regularly, all the so called mod cons that we cant live without. Power and work consumers to support an artificial lifestyle. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
||||
| RossW Guru Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 495 |
A few years ago, we had a car come up to our place. We don't get many "drop-ins" so I wandered out to see who or what. Probably someone lost I guessed. The car was all signwritten up - "C****** ENERGY". An officious looking old fart behind the wheel. So I wander up to him and say "You must be lost!" He looks at me all annoyed like, and asks where the power meter is. I tell him we don't have one. He looks even more annoyed and asks the same silly question again. I look at him, sweep my arm around the field of view and say "Do you *SEE* any power lines? *YOU* bastards went back on your word and wouldn't honour your quote, so we don't *HAVE* your power". He looks really annoyed now and for the 3rd time asks "ok, joke's over - where is the meter?" I glare at him and tell him that seriously, we're off grid. We have no connection to his precious grid and no need for a meter, which is why he can't see one. He muttered something that I think was swearing at me and some threat about being back and wasting his time, spun the wheels and tore off. Wish I'd got the rego, I'd have lodged a complaint about the arrogant prick. But damn, it DID feel nice to tell him we had no connection to his stinking overpriced grid :) |
||||
| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Ross I know how you feel mate, as I have had the experience myself several times over the years, I had a block on the south-side of Brisbane 35 years ago, when I applied for power they said to pay a deposit and it would be connected in three months, three years later I had set up alternate power as no electricity was available, they then run a power line past my place to a local turf farm and billed me for electricity back to the date of the application, I didn't pay of course, so they dragged me to the magistrates court to collect their money, I defended myself, and let them go through their spiel of why I owed them money, when they finished and it was my turn, I didn't say a thing, I just got up and presented the magistrate with an envelope that contained a bill for work done on his car, he read this and said that the work hadn't been done and he hadn't ordered it or authorized the work so the bill was null and void. I just said thank you your honor I rest my defense. He sat there smiling for a few minuets and adjourned the court for lunch, The lawyer for the electricity company sat smiling and laughing to his client representative. After lunch the Magistrate came back in and I was a bit worried as he had a real scowl on his face, I shouldn't have worried. He told the SEQEB representative that they where in breach of contract by not suppling the connection within the agreed period on the application, and therefore they should refund the deposit plus interest for four years plus damages for the power I had to provide to my family as I had four small children at the time it wasn't practical to live without electricity, he also awarded costs to me and hardship allowance, so SEQEB had to pay all court costs and me $3000. a lot of money 30 years ago. When I moved to where I am now, they refused me electricity so once again went onto alternate power, a few years later they where running a main line along my front boundary right past the end of my runway, so I told them they would have to go underground past the end of the runway, they where not happy and kept going installing the poles so I got my chainsaw and cut the two poles at the end of my runway the next morning all hell to play, the local engineer came to see me and started laying down the law, so I handed him a acceptance of liability document for Energex the morph of Seqeb, he thundered off with smoke coming from his ears, the next morning they turned up with a digger and big underground cable and put the whole lot underground. 
The pole with the high voltage underground cable connection. 
I have had the power connected here now for fifteen years after a trip to the local member, because they where withholding an essential service. I now look forward to getting paybach for my alternate energy system to offset my pension. 
All the best Bob Foolin Around |
||||
AMACK Senior Member Joined: 31/05/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 184 |
BOB, Well done, It is good to see someone stand up to large companys and win for a change. Most of the time people let them get away with things because they are to afraid to do anything about it. WELL DONE... *Note to self 1. Make it thick 2.Make it heavy. 3.Make it stronger than it should be. 4. Don't rush the first job as the second job will cost more and take mor |
||||
| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Andrew I had a bit of a thing against these quasi autonomous Nazi organizations after seeing how they treated people with contempt over billing and other issues, if I was in the right I will dig in and fight by fair means or foul, if a few more people did it and showed them that they are not Gods agent on earth, I think we would see a bit more rational and logical in their dealing with people. My friend has a turf farm not far from my place, during the drought he stopped growing turf so didn't water the grass anymore, they kept billing him based on prior usage at over a $1000 a week, he protested the the bill so they came and cut his power, that cut his stock water system and deprived his animals of water for a week, not good in hot weather, we set up a generator to get him going. You don't have to be real smart to see if grass isnt watered it changes color, but thy didn't see that, or chose not to see it. They chased him for the money until they sent out a team to check the meters, then accused him of tampering with the meters, after $10,000 legal and consultant fees they had to drop their charges and pay compensation to him, just lucky he had the money to pursue them in the court, a lot of poor farmers have been ruined by their tactics and intimidation. The fitment of these new meters is going to make things worse as they can manipulate them to their own ends and a sparky mate of mine tells me that if they get lightning pulsed they can go crazy. I read mine every week and record the results on paper and in a spreadsheet. I trust them as far as I could kick them and I wouldn't kick them because Sh*t splatters. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
||||
| AMACK Senior Member Joined: 31/05/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 184 |
Bob, I too record my meter readings as I have just got a new bio meter put in. They did not leave any info on the meter at all so it is hard to work out what is what but I am working it out. The solar system I have is 1710 watts and the other day it was 10oc and cold and the sun came out and it peaked at 2369 watts. The best I have seen feed into the grid is 14.85 kw/h in a day. I have got the house down to less then 10 kw/h a day so I am happy. Amack *Note to self 1. Make it thick 2.Make it heavy. 3.Make it stronger than it should be. 4. Don't rush the first job as the second job will cost more and take mor |
||||
| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Andrew I have a 1000watt setup on GTI it averages 4,5 KW a day so you are doing very well with yours, the best out put I have seen was 985 watts. I have some other panels and the mill feeding as well but not doing as well as your solar. The house average input is 7 kw a day and the workshop is 2.7 so have a deficit at the moment, plans to put the panels on a tracker and add another 12 panels will help in the future. Total will be 4.5 Kw MPPT should help a bit too. Have another 2 KW in cells to make into panels but initial trial wasn't cost effective, but will get around to using them up when I get the next mill up and running. After the trial run I have been doing I will put the house back onto the Inverter, end of January. Electricity bill was $650 prior to solar and mills and now down to less than $100 so it is worthwhile. Most of the saving was in the HWS average 10 KW a day. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
||||
| JimBo911 Senior Member Joined: 26/03/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 262 |
Amack A bit off track, hows the new mill working out for you now? I know you where having few problems in the past. Bob Wow you really stuck it to the man I love hearing stories like that. Whens it's cold and sunny my PV puts out about 900 to 1000 watts but much less when it s hot. I have room for a lot more PV panels so I have to fight off the temptation go purchase a bunch more. PV prices are at there lowest now. I still have bills from my kids collage tuition and my wife has been out of work fore over a year now. Jim |
||||
| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Jim Times are tough for us all now, but I think investing in panels is worth the sacrifice as power costs increase, any offset is worthwhile, and look seriously at power reduction as it is a lot easier to save power than make it. My aim by the end of this year is to be power independent and feed the grid with enough power to pay for the property expenses. Providing I go light on the use of workshop equipment this is achievable. I like to be independent as possible so I can tell these vultures to go to hell without compromising my lifestyle. Also it's nice to extract some blood from them as well. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
||||
 Print this page |
 |
The Back Shed's forum code is written, and hosted, in Australia. | © JAQ Software 2025 |
