How this Aussie couple reduced their electricity bill to $3.79
As families across Australia brace themselves for another hefty power bill, one Aussie couple has revealed how they reduced their electricity costs to less than $5 a month.
David Kidd and his wife Jenny paid just $3.79 for electricity in the month of September. For less than a cup of coffee in some major cities, they were able to meet their daily power needs. But how did the Northern NSW couple manage this feat?
Well, it all comes down to the solar panels on the roof of their two-storey home.
News.com.au reports the Kidds fitted the panels to the east side of their home in August with a goal to get their bills as close to zero as possible. And it’s working.
“It feels great to be able to provide the bulk of our electricity needs from our own installation with the grid only as a backup for longer periods of cloudy weather,” Mr Kidd, 64, said.
“We are finding that, even on days of long cloudy periods, we can largely supply our needs.”
The Kidds already has a small existing solar system, and recently added extra panels and a battery, at a cost of $12,500. But the shift saw an immediate drop in their bills.
“Without any solar, my bills were up over $200 per month,” he said.
“With my small system, the bills were $120 a month, but when the new solar and battery system was installed in late August, my September bill immediately dropped to $3.79.
“The benefits were instantaneous."
While it will take a few years for the Kidds to recoup the cost of their investment, they feel as though they’ve made the right choice, especially as power bills continue to spike.
“Solar is easy to install and integrate, provides whatever degree of energy independence you wish to achieve and can afford — it takes away the worry of what your energy bill will look like each quarter and provides insurance against future electricity price rises,” Kidd says.
“For me, solar is a no brainer. It’s clean, cheap and sustainable.”
Have you considered solar panel as an option? What do you think is the right approach to tackle the rising power costs? Let us know in the comments section below.