Cost of Living

[Booney]

For the first time I can remember, a house in my street sold for over a million about a month ago to a Chinese couple. A couple of western families tried but just got out muscled by this Chinese couple.
For that price, and type of house (family home), I expected them to move in. Nope, yesterday they had an open inspection to rent it.

12 months ago, the house 5 doors down from this one sold for near 850k, and the exact same thing happened in the same manner.

Chalmers has come out with increased taxes on foreign investment in property, but then said it only makes up 1% of all property sales. Seems like a low number...

A place in Alberton went for $1.011m a week or two ago. Big corner block....but, only 2 bedrooms and needs a new bathroom.

Dad brought it for one of his kids.

[MW]

Paid for the development aspect but using it as is? must have some money to burn...

[dedja]

Back to FC’s initial post on Electricity costs, the system is seemingly irrevocably faarked.

Here is my Sunday rant.

The rollout of smart meters is opening a huge can of worms. Once your meter has been converted you usually have to go on a TOU plan with 3 different rates depending on the time of day.

In SA, these are (from most expensive to least) set by SAPN as follows:

Peak: 6am-10am, 3pm to 1am
Off Peak: 1am-6am
Solar Sponge (shoulder): 10am-3pm

So the rationale is to encourage (*cough* force *cough*) people to use as much power as possible during the time that the most solar is exported (Solar Sponge), and to use less power during the ‘peak’ times. If you don’t change your usage, then you will pay through the nose.

Now that’s actually fair if the peak time is set realistically, but 6am-10am and 3pm-1am? FMD, that’s just gouging. The highest demand is usually around 4-8pm each day, so setting the ‘peak’ time to such a wide timeframe is just taking the piss.

These 3 rate categories apply to both general use and controlled load.

For example, current rates (c/kWh) for one of AGL TOU plans (noting that rates will change on 1/7 ie. tomorrow) are:

General usage:
Peak: 50.171
Off-Peak: 34.386
Solar Sponge: 29.403

Controlled Load:
Peak: 45.495
Off-Peak: 23.705
Solar Sponge: 18.975

Supply Charge: 102.256 c/day


Compare this to a flat rate plan on a non-smart meter:

General usage: 43.505
Controlled Load: 22.94
Supply Charge: 102.256 c/day


Now, there are certainly some things you can move to the cheapest period, like washing, some cooking and some hot water use, but what if you want to cook after 3pm, or have a shower before or after work and not during the middle of the day when you’re not home, or heat or cool the house outside of 10am-3pm?

And how is my 88 year old mother supposed to work all this out? How is she supposed to figure out how to change the time her hot storage water heats to utilise the cheapest controlled load rate?

My retailer has just informed me that my meter will be ‘upgraded’ to a smart meter, and the regulator has stated that all meters must be upgraded by 2030 … but I have the right to refuse (and therefore kick the can down the road). If your meter needs to be replaced because it’s faulty or requires an upgrade (for example, solar, batteries, etc), then it will be replaced with a smart meter. There have been reports that retailers have notified SAPN that a consumer’s meter is faulty just to trigger a replacement when there is nothing wrong with it, because it’s in their interest to do so.

As I’m one of the lucky ones to receive a SA State Govt 44c FIT until 30/06/2028, I’ll be kicking the can down the road to hopefully at least this date.

Not everyone has the time, wherewithal, or patience to work this out each year when rates change.

(In my best Gerald Undone voice) Alright, I’m done.

[daysofourlives]

Back to FC’s initial post on Electricity costs, the system is seemingly irrevocably faarked.

Here is my Sunday rant.

The rollout of smart meters is opening a huge can of worms. Once your meter has been converted you usually have to go on a TOU plan with 3 different rates depending on the time of day.

In SA, these are (from most expensive to least) set by SAPN as follows:

Peak: 6am-10am, 3pm to 1am
Off Peak: 1am-6am
Solar Sponge (shoulder): 10am-3pm

So the rationale is to encourage (*cough* force *cough*) people to use as much power as possible during the time that the most solar is exported (Solar Sponge), and to use less power during the ‘peak’ times. If you don’t change your usage, then you will pay through the nose.

Now that’s actually fair if the peak time is set realistically, but 6am-10am and 3pm-1am? FMD, that’s just gouging. The highest demand is usually around 4-8pm each day, so setting the ‘peak’ time to such a wide timeframe is just taking the piss.

These 3 rate categories apply to both general use and controlled load.

For example, current rates (c/kWh) for one of AGL TOU plans (noting that rates will change on 1/7 ie. tomorrow) are:

General usage:
Peak: 50.171
Off-Peak: 34.386
Solar Sponge: 29.403

Controlled Load:
Peak: 45.495
Off-Peak: 23.705
Solar Sponge: 18.975

Supply Charge: 102.256 c/day


Compare this to a flat rate plan on a non-smart meter:

General usage: 43.505
Controlled Load: 22.94
Supply Charge: 102.256 c/day


Now, there are certainly some things you can move to the cheapest period, like washing, some cooking and some hot water use, but what if you want to cook after 3pm, or have a shower before or after work and not during the middle of the day when you’re not home, or heat or cool the house outside of 10am-3pm?

And how is my 88 year old mother supposed to work all this out? How is she supposed to figure out how to change the time her hot storage water heats to utilise the cheapest controlled load rate?

My retailer has just informed me that my meter will be ‘upgraded’ to a smart meter, and the regulator has stated that all meters must be upgraded by 2030 … but I have the right to refuse (and therefore kick the can down the road). If your meter needs to be replaced because it’s faulty or requires an upgrade (for example, solar, batteries, etc), then it will be replaced with a smart meter. There have been reports that retailers have notified SAPN that a consumer’s meter is faulty just to trigger a replacement when there is nothing wrong with it, because it’s in their interest to do so.

As I’m one of the lucky ones to receive a SA State Govt 44c FIT until 30/06/2028, I’ll be kicking the can down the road to hopefully at least this date.

Not everyone has the time, wherewithal, or patience to work this out each year when rates change.

(In my best Gerald Undone voice) Alright, I’m done.

Another thing to note from the crooks is that if you have solar.
If peak price is 50 with no solar, it will be 50 plus whatever your feed in tariff is with solar, i get 8c so mine is 58.
I also have a 13.5kw battery. There is something dodgy with the battery and or power supply
Before i got solar and battery my average usage was 13.5kw per day across the whole year. There has not been one day in 2 years that i have had and of my battery remaining (i stop using at 10% charge). Something doesnt add up. Either my battery is not 13.5kw or with the introduction of the smart meter they have chewed more power on my behalf

[dedja]

It will obviously depend on a number of factors … how much your panels generate on a given day, how much of that is consumed, exported or stored in your battery, etc, etc.

Don’t know the size of your solar panels, but you may not generate enough to fully charge your battery each day when taking all of the above factors into play.

I have solar but no battery, and it’s hard enough to predict, measure and assess power usage to maximise benefit (to minimise costs), but I do have good data.

If you’re on a smart meter, then you should have both net solar generation and grid usage data at hand. Do you also have similar data from your batteries to analyse further?

[daysofourlives]

It will obviously depend on a number of factors … how much your panels generate on a given day, how much of that is consumed, exported or stored in your battery, etc, etc.

Don’t know the size of your solar panels, but you may not generate enough to fully charge your battery each day when taking all of the above factors into play.

I have solar but no battery, and it’s hard enough to predict, measure and assess power usage to maximise benefit (to minimise costs), but I do have good data.

If you’re on a smart meter, then you should have both net solar generation and grid usage data at hand. Do you also have similar data from your batteries to analyse further?

Yeah i have an app that covers all that.
The battery doesnt always get fully charged obviously, this time of the year it hardly gets anything.
Mine isnt a conventional set up. I have 3 phase power to my shed where i have 9.96kw solar system. 2 of those phases return power to the grid 100% of the time. Where i am, i am allowed 5kw/hr per phase to return the grid. The other goes to my battery/house. So effectively i only have 3.32kw feeding the battery. in ideal conditions its more than enough, in winter ideally id like to have all my solar feeding the battery but thats not possible.
Im thinking of putting another small solar system on the house. I need to look into the cost of getting the 3 phase to the house and what that involves vs say another 3kw system on the house. i dont even know if any of that is possible.
Looking forward to the day they start charging us to take our solar as they have started in Queensland.

[dedja]

In your case it’s better to use as much of your solar generation as possible to minimise grid use. How you do that with the battery/export setup you have is dependent on your usage pattern, but wouldn’t you want as much of your solar as possible feeding your battery? I would assume any excess solar generation + battery that can’t be consumed is then exported, but to be honest I don’t know the ins and outs of a solar/battery/grid setup, but It sounds like you’re compromised by the 5kWh per phase export limitation.

Also, as you know, solar generation is a day by day proposition but there are distinct long term trends. In my case, the solar generation estimates that were used to purchase my system have been absolutely bang on for the 13 years I have them, which allows me to accurately forecast solar future generation.

I’m in the opposite camp as you, as my FIT is 52c so I’m incented to export as much as I possibly can. Therefore, it’s better for me to use as little as possible during the day and move consumption to later afternoon/evening, which is the opposite to the implied incentive from TOU plans.

If rates continue to rise and become comparable or overtake my FIT (which is where it’s heading), then it completely changes the equation.

[daysofourlives]

Im under the impression 5kw/hr feed in is pretty much as good as you get, some areas are as little as 1kw/hr.

To have all phases going to the house i need to get the house connected to 3 phase, i need a 3 phase battery so the costs start going up.
It would be good if i could have say 6kw going to my battery and only 3kw to the grid, im not sure if thats possible and trying to get answers out of anyone isnt that easy. Solar companies are only interested in selling a system and electricians arent real interested.
If anyone knows anybody i could speak to about my options that would be great.

[dedja]

OK, now I understand your setup … your choke point is the single phase battery.

I sort of have the opposite, 3 phase power supply but single phase inverter, but my system is 4kW, exported on one phase so the only decision was how to wire the phases to each circuit.

[LaughingKookaburra]

Go to this site every 6 months and compare to what you currently have. Some of the numbers you can save are eye opening to say the least

https://www.energymadeeasy.gov.au/

[dedja]

Go to this site every 6 months and compare to what you currently have. Some of the numbers you can save are eye opening to say the least

https://www.energymadeeasy.gov.au/

I don't find it that useful to be honest as it doesn't take FIT into account, even if you allow retrieval of your usage data. I just have a spreadsheet with past usage and solar export and plug in rates to determine what's best for me (which the site doesn't do).

[Psyber]

Just got a quarterly electricity bill for just over $1400...

It has been wet and cloudy up here in the hills and the solar panel upload has therefore been low, but the bill is nearly twice that for the same time last year. However, I've tended to be working interstate in previous years in the winter period so perhaps that is a factor since I retired late last year just after my 80th birthday.

Refunds on solar uploads have been gradually reduced too. So I may need to negotiate a new deal with another company - and perhaps get the panels cleaned I guess. (Or maybe move into a smaller house? )

[dedja]

Just got a quarterly electricity bill for just over $1400...

I pay half that per year

Definitely worth looking for a new deal, rates have gone up exponentially in the last year. You may also have been moved to a TOU plan if you have a smart meter.

[Lightning McQueen]

Just got a quarterly electricity bill for just over $1400...

It has been wet and cloudy up here in the hills and the solar panel upload has therefore been low, but the bill is nearly twice that for the same time last year. However, I've tended to be working interstate in previous years in the winter period so perhaps that is a factor since I retired late last year just after my 80th birthday.

Refunds on solar uploads have been gradually reduced too. So I may need to negotiate a new deal with another company - and perhaps get the panels cleaned I guess. (Or maybe move into a smaller house? )

Just buy a smaller island.

[Booney]

No cost of living crisis in Toyota land. Old mate goes to buy a tow ball ( idiot, always go to Super Cheap ) and ends up taking a new $80k Hilux for a test drive.