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"There's no way": Man receives $52 billion tax bill

An American man has been left confused after receiving a letter from the government claiming he owed $52 billion in unpaid taxes. Barry Tangert got two letters in the mail from the state of Pennsylvania, opening the first to find a refund check from the federal government for over $900. His joy was short-lived though as he opened the second letter to find the income billing notice from the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue claiming that he owed a jaw-dropping $52,950,744,735.28 ($34,576,826,561.47 AUD). “I knew it was an obvious blunder. I don’t even make over $100,000 a year, so there’s no way I could owe anywhere near that,” Barry Tangert told local outlet News 8. The total sum was so large it didn’t even fit on a single line on the document. Tangert immediately knew it was a mistake, with the astonishing number being more than triple the $11 billion America’s richest man Elon Musk says he owed the government in 2022. How the error made it all the way to his doorstep is still a mystery to Tangert. “I don’t know if it was a computer glitch in the transmission or if it was an input error from my tax preparer,” Tangert said, noting that his tax preparer filed an amendment after noticing an error on his 2022 return. He reached out to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue’s customer service line, which also provided little help to the baffled man. “The first thing he said was, ‘You had a good year.’ And I said, ‘I wish,’” Tangert said. Fortunately, the state department has since resolved the issue, which it chalked up to wrong numbers simply being put into the system. Image credits: WGAL News 8

Money & Banking

Tourist slapped with $225k bill after simple mistake

An American tourist has revealed the moment he was charged with a $US143k (AU$225k) bill after a short holiday to Switzerland. Rene Remund and his wife Linda went on the trip last September. Prior to their travels, Remund made sure to inform his mobile phone provider, T-Mobile, that he was going overseas and as a customer of 30 years, he was told he was “covered”. So, with no worries at all, the tourist shared photos of his moments in the Swiss countryside with friends and family via photo messages. Imagine his surprise when he came home to a six-figure bill, after he racked up thousands and thousands of dollars in daily roaming costs. “I get this T-Mobile bill and it doesn’t bother me very much because I was reading $143,” he explained, adding it wasn’t until he went to pay the bill that he realised a few more zeros were involved. “I look at the bill and I say, ‘excuse me’,” he said. “$143,000 … are you guys crazy?” According to the bill, Remund had racked up 9.5 gigabytes of data while in Europe, which cost him thousands of dollars each day. While it wasn't a huge amount of data, not being covered by roaming fees will cause a user to run up a huge bill very quickly. “I called [T-Mobile] and the girl put me on hold for a while,” he explained. “She said let me check this out and I’ll get back to you. She gets back and says, yeah this is a good bill. “I said, ‘what do you mean it’s a good bill?’ And she says ‘well, this is what you owe’. “I said ‘you’re kidding me … you’re crazy’.” After confirming that his bill was in fact AU$225,000, Remund hired a lawyer to argue the fact that he was covered for international roaming. His lawyer issued a letter to the president of T-Mobile, and they only received a reply a few days ago. The letter from T-Mobile allegedly said that the service provider was “sorry” for the charges, and that Remund would receive a “credit” to eliminate the entire bill. In an email shared to local media Scripps News Tampa, the mobile phone provider said that customers should always “check the travel features of their plan, such as international data roaming, before departing”. “If a customer is on an older plan that doesn’t include international roaming for data and calling, they’ll need to make sure they’re using aeroplane mode and wi-fi when using data to be certain the device doesn’t connect to an international network.” <em style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Figtree, Roboto, 'Noto Sans Hebrew', 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">Images: ABC Action News

Travel Trouble

Millions of Aussies set for power bill relief

Millions of Aussies are set for some financial relief, with electricity costs set to drop by up to 7 per cent in the coming months. The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) and Victoria's Essential Services Commission (ESC) both released their draft default market offers - the maximum energy retailers are allowed to charge customers - for the 2024-25 financial year. Under the AER draft, residents in Sydney, Newcastle and the Hunter on the default offer will pay between 3 and 3.4 per cent less for electricity starting from July 1. The biggest drop is set for Victoria, with the ESC proposing a 6.4 per cent decrease. Those in Western Sydney, the Illawarra, and South Coast, will see their electricity bills decrease by 1.9 to 7.1 per cent. South Australians will receive a drop between 0.5 and 2.5 per cent. A number of small business customers will also benefit from lower power bill costs with 9.7 per cent for Sydney, Newcastle and the Hunter; 4.4 per cent for Western Sydney and the South Coast; 0.3 per cent for South-East Queensland; 8.2 per cent for South Australia; and 7 per cent for Victoria. Energy Minister Chris Bowen welcomed the news of lower power bill costs, but acknowledged that it will continue to play a part in the cost of living challenges faced by many Australians. "This is encouraging news," he said. "Encouraging for those small businesses and families who will receive lower energy bills as a result. "But nobody should suggest that there aren't real cost of living pressures around the world and in Australia, and energy prices are of course part of that and will continue to be." Not everyone will see a drop, with customers in the rest of regional NSW to get a small increase of 0.9 per cent, while the default offer for South East Queensland will increase by up to 2.7 per cent. While not all households are on the default offer, Bowen said that the AER's decision will also affect those not on the offer. "This either impacts directly or indirectly your energy bill," he said. "Directly for those on the default market offer. For those who aren't on the direct market offer, indirectly - the energy companies have to benchmark themselves against this, tell their consumers how they compare to this, and it provides very real pressure on them to match it. "If they don't, consumers will know about it and will make choices accordingly. "It's partly about those on the default market offer, but it actually impacts on all our bills indirectly." AER chair Clare Savage said that the cost of living crisis was the main contributor for their draft decision. "We know that economic conditions have put pressure on many Australians and the increases in electricity prices over the last two years has made energy less affordable for many households," she said. "In light of this, the AER has, in this decision, placed increased weight on protecting consumers." The draft decision is not final, with both the AER and ESC to receive consultation and feedback from stakeholders before confirming their default market offers in May. Image: Getty

Money & Banking

AusPost customer faces extra charge for using cash

As conversations continue about moving to a cashless society, an Australia Post customer was outraged after being slapped with a charge for using cash. Brisbane resident Gerrie Hoogland shared her outrage after hearing about the supposed cash charge through a friend, who claims they were charged $2.20 for wanting to use cash to pay a bill. Hoogland recounted the story on X, formerly known as Twitter, to share the story, while asking if anyone else had encountered anything similar. She wrote, “A friend of my husband’s went to pay a bill at the Post Office last week. He gave them $82.00 in cash and they said they would have to charge him $2.20 for using cash.” “He refused to pay it after telling them cash is legal tender, and then he left without paying the bill at all. Is anyone else hearing more of this?” A number of Aussies took to the comments to call out Australia Post for being “shady”, with some calling the fee a “scam” and a “disgrace”. However the outrage towards Australia Post may be misplaced. <a href="https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/australia-post-customer-charged-220-for-using-cash---but-is-the-outrage-warranted-025519571.html">Yahoo Finance</a> has contacted the national postal service and understands the fee is set by individual billers, rather than Australia Post themselves. The fee relates to bills paid in person at an Australia Post outlet via Post Billpay and can apply to both cash and card transactions, and whether or not the fee is passed onto the customer will depend on the individual biller. In recent years, a number of billers charge an additional payment fee for bills paid in person, with some notable examples include telcos Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Image credits: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

7 ways you’re shortening the lifespan of your refrigerator

How you may be shortening the lifespan of a refrigerator Refrigerators are a necessity in the home, but they cost a pretty penny. They can range in price from $700 to thousands of dollars, depending on which refrigerator brand you buy and which bells and whistles you want. Since it takes a good chunk of change to pay for this appliance, it makes sense to take great care of it so it lasts as long as possible. The typical lifespan of a refrigerator is 10 to 15 years, but it could last up to 20 years if you take superb care of it. Knowing how you may be shortening the life of your fridge helps you nip bad habits in the bud and make those well-spent dollars go the extra mile. That’s why we’ve rounded up the ways you may be knocking valuable time off your fridge’s life – read on and take note! Then, brush up on the signs your refrigerator is about to die and what your refrigerator temperature should be – both important things to know for fridge upkeep. You’re not cleaning the internal mechanics “If the defrost drain is clogged with debris, or frozen, the water dripping off the coils will overflow the drain trough and drip into the bottom of your refrigerator,” experts at the Repair Clinic told Reader’s Digest. Not only can this overwork your fridge, leading to a shorter lifespan, but it potentially causes your fridge/freezer to leak water all over your kitchen floor. Leaking water is a sign you should get any appliance looked at – it’s also a symptom of some of the ways you’re shortening the life of your washer and dryer. You’re not cleaning the fridge itself Additionally, debris, foodstuff, sticky spills and more common food mishaps that stay on the gasket of the refrigerator’s door too long can tear or break the seal of your refrigerator door. That can cause a leak, allowing cold air to escape. This makes learning how to clean your refrigerator properly all the more important (psst – these are the best fridge cleaners that’ll get the job done). To keep your fridge in tip-top shape as long as possible, wipe down the door edges often. And while you’re wiping down your fridge, see if you’ve organised your refrigerator the right way to keep ingredients fresh and avoid food poisoning. You’re not cleaning the coils More than 70 per cent of service calls for your fridge can be eliminated by cleaning your coils once a year – so experts recommend upping that to twice a year if you have furry pets (like an adorable but extra-fluffy pup). Debris on the coils can stop your fridge from properly dissipating heat, which means your compressor works harder and longer than it was designed to. That makes your fridge use more energy and shortens its lifespan. It's too full We’ve all played a few games of Tetris with our refrigerator after we get home with the groceries, but be careful when stocking up and storing. While this isn’t a huge problem with newer models, some older models have fan blades that are less protected. You may even be able to see the fan blades in your freezer or fridge. Cramming your food into the fridge and freezer to the point of applying undue pressure on this small part can affect its shape and fit among related parts of your fridge, risking a break. Ineffective fridges are overworked fridges, which will eventually lead to a refrigerator that doesn’t work. To avoid overfilling your fridge, do a deep clean of the contents of your fridge every once in a while and eliminate clutter. You’re not changing the water filter often enough If you have the type of fridge that makes ice – with the dispenser either within the freezer or on your door – the water filter is key to keeping this part of your refrigerator in great condition. An old, broken or dislodged water filter can create all kinds of problems for your fridge. At best, your ice dispenser breaks. At worst, your fridge overworks itself to an early death and you’re stuck footing the bill for a new one. Luckily, CNET reports that you likely can detect this problem early, as your ice cubes will start coming out smaller, oddly shaped or not at all. Keep this in mind next time you’re filling up your water bottle. Your freezer temperature is too high “Ideally, the temperature should be set -18 degrees Celsius,” said experts at Repair Clinic. The wrong freezer temperature can affect the longevity of your ice maker, as well as the safety of the food you’ll be eating. A temperature higher than -9 degrees Celsius can also cause the defrost thermostat to stop working, which, in turn, overworks your refrigerator and shortens its life. You ignore weird noises or constant running If you notice that your fridge is always running, or is running louder than usual, do something about it right away. Some fixes are easy enough that you can do them yourself, or they’re inexpensive for a professional, but even if that’s not the case, allowing a fridge to work itself harder than it is intended to is a good way to put an early expiration date on it. Depending on the age of your fridge, you may want to decide not to fix it and invest in a new, more energy- and cost-efficient option. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/7-ways-youre-shortening-the-lifespan-of-your-refrigerator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. <div class="slide-image" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div>

Home & Garden

Radio host mourns passing of wife after 30-year marriage

Queensland radio host Bill McDonald is mourning the loss of his wife following her "courageous battle" with cancer. He and Julianne had been married for 30-years before her tragic passing on Wednesday and share four sons together. Their eldest son, Jordan, shared the sad news on Facebook, with a heartbreaking photo of him holding his mother's hand on the hospital bed. “On behalf of the McDonald family, we are deeply saddened to share that Mum passed away early this morning after a courageous battle with cancer,” he wrote. “We love you and will miss you dearly.” McDonald took some time off his new role as Ray Hadley's Brisbane 4BC radio replacement following the devastating news. His colleague Gary Hardgrave covered for him and broke the news to 4BC listeners. “Gary Hardgrave here in the chair this morning for Bill McDonald. Look, I have some sad news to share with 4BC listeners this morning,” he said. He then explained the situation and shared Jordan's Facebook post, before adding: “We are thinking of Bill and his four sons at this dreadful and difficult time.” McDonald and Julianne share four sons together, Jordan, Hamish, William, and James. McDonald was Channel Seven newsreader for Brisbane before he took over Hadley‘s radio slot on 4BC, after Hadley's long-running morning program was discontinued. McDonald was named the new host of the 9am-noon slot on weekdays in September. Images: Facebook

Caring

Duke and Duchess ordered to shorten their baby's name

In a world where baby names have become battlegrounds for parental creativity, one Spanish duke is learning the hard way that there's such a thing as too much of a good thing. Meet Fernando Juan Fitz-James Stuart y de Solís, the 17th Duke of Huéscar and heir apparent to the dukedom of Alba. He and his wife, Sofía Palazuelo, recently welcomed their second child into the world, and they didn't hold back when it came to naming her. In fact, they let their imaginations run so wild that they've run into a bit of a royal roadblock. Their darling daughter was bestowed with a grand total of TWENTY-FIVE NAMES. Yes, you read that right. It's like they were trying to set a new record for the world's longest moniker. The poor girl's full name is Sofía Fernanda Dolores Cayetana Teresa Ángela de la Cruz Micaela del Santísimo Sacramento del Perpetuo Socorro de la Santísima Trinidad y de Todos Los Santos. In English, that translates to "Sofía Fernanda Dolores Cayetana Teresa Ángela de la Cruz Micaela of the Blessed Sacrament of Perpetual Help of the Holy Trinity and All Saints." Young Sofia would almost certainly need perpetual help writing that out on school and official documents were it not for the obstacle now preventing the 'normous name from sticking. Now, before you start thinking this was just a case of overly enthusiastic parents throwing every possible name they could think of at their child, hold on a moment. There's a method to this naming madness. Each of those 11 names was carefully chosen to honour important family members, including her mother, grandmother, father and great-uncle. The couple also included a nod to religious devotions, just in case little Sofía needed some divine intervention to carry her name around. However, the Spanish Civil Registry, apparently not a fan of name-related acrobatics, has thrown a royal wrench into the works. According to their rules, a child's name must contain "no more than one compound name and no more than two simple ones". In other words, they're putting a cap on the number of monikers a person can have, and Sofía's name blew right past that limit like a speeding chariot. So, the Duke and Duchess find themselves in a bit of a naming pickle. They need to trim their daughter's name down to size, and that's not a task for the faint of heart. After all, it's not every day that you have to decide which family member's name makes the cut and which one gets the royal snip. In the meantime, young Sofía will no doubt need a papyrus scroll just to keep track of all those names – and if she ever loses her way, she can simply follow the trail of syllables to find her identity again. This entire baby-naming escapade is reminiscent of the late Duchess of Alba, who for a time held the Guinness World Record for "most titled aristocrat", holding more than 50 titles in her lifetime. She passed away in 2014 at the ripe old age of 88, and while the young Duke of Huéscar may not be aiming for the world record, he's certainly giving it a good-natured run for its money. Images: Instagram

Family & Pets

"My unexpected $223,000 overseas bill"

Jeffrey Yates had just embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday with his wife to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Instead, he ended up racking up a whopping $223,255 bill, the biggest claim his insurance company had seen during 2017. The 71-year-old from Western Australia said the pair’s much-anticipated trip had started off well. “The trip was a particularly special one as it was our 50th wedding anniversary, so it was something we’d been looking forward to for quite some time,” Mr Yates told <a href="http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/health-safety/my-unexpected-223000-overseas-bill/news-story/94cd850899f9e1367bf6f3fb49621307">news.com.au.</a> “We started in Dubai, and then went over to Athens. From there, we jumped on a cruise from Athens to Barcelona.” But things soon took a turn when Jeffrey was struck with a series of illnesses while in Italy. “We were only a week in when my health started to deteriorate,” he said. “I contracted legionnaires’ disease and pneumonia which led to me discovering that I had emphysema on the trip. “The experience was quite scary and my wife and our two friends had to leave the cruise early to assist during my recovery.” He ended up in hospital for more than a month. “Within three days they’d dropped us off in Naples to see a specialist hospital, which led to 16 days in intensive care. This was followed by an extended stay in hospital. “All up, I was out of action for 47 days. After all was said and done, the total came to well over $220,000 … It was an extremely difficult situation.” Jeff says that while the couple always take out travel insurance, it was more for his wife who has ongoing health issues. He hadn’t anticipated he would need it. “It’s not something you think about, especially given how quickly those transportation and hospital bills can add up,” he said. “Of course, we were disappointed that such a long-awaited trip had been cut short, but we are grateful that it wasn’t worse and that we weren’t left out of pocket.” He says his experience show that all travellers need to protect themselves when travelling – as you really never know what could happen. Jeff still has ongoing health issues that he is being monitored for, including breathing issues for which he still requires oxygen. Images: Getty

Travel Trouble

How to avoid mobile phone bill horror stories when travelling

"I'm sorry, calls to this number are not allowed, please try again later". This. Again. At 1am standing outside what I thought was our Galway Airbnb, but instead was a popular alley for Irish revellers to relieve themselves. Brilliant. After begging a convenience store manager, borrowing a phone and stealing some local wi-fi, we made it to bed before 3am (one-star rating for the Airbnb host, naturally). Such was the power of the phone company when you're on holiday, I still got pinged far-too-high amounts for calls and data used to attempt a check-in at the Irish abode. A reader recently contacted me wanting to avoid such a conundrum by asking for the best SIM cards available in Europe. Thankfully, EU law has recently shielded travellers from harsh cross-border roaming charges by ruling that providers cannot charge excessively for access to rival networks in fellow EU nations. You'll see the kiosks hawking pre-paid SIM packages at many major airports. If you want the dependability a SIM provides, assess your needs and shop around. Better yet, get to know your smartphone better and use the whole range of mobile apps that will soon make international call and text roaming redundant. Organising hotels, taxis, tours, dinner reservations as well as calling home and making your friends and colleagues jealous with holiday snaps can all be done with a wi-fi connections, which are readily available and far cheaper (if not free). Avoid phone bill shock when you're away <ul> <li>Contact your mobile phone company rep about your destination and length of stay to see what add-ons and spending caps may be best.</li> <li>Only purchase local SIMs if you're in the country more than a week, have an unplanned itinerary or will have no free wi-fi at your accommodation.</li> <li>If you're on a per-day bundle, choose a few days to be on-the-grid and turn off your mobile data on other days.</li> <li>Go wi-fi only, in North American, Asian and European cities it's readily available.</li> <li>Embrace apps like Uber, Gett, WhatsApp, OpenTable and TripAdvisor to book taxis, call home and book restaurants and tours using hotel wi-fi and thus limiting calls.</li> </ul> Image credit: Shutterstock Written by Josh Martin. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stuff.co.nz</a>.

Travel Tips

Energy bill relief to benefit just one Aussie demographic

Nearly half a million older Australians will receive hundreds of dollars in energy bill relief as the federal government looks to battle rising power prices. Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth revealed that all Commonwealth seniors health card holders will be given up to $500 per household. The 490,000-plus recipients will include an extra 16,320 people granted access to the card after the federal government introduced higher income thresholds for eligibility in November 2022. The new income limits are $90,000 for singles and $144,000 (combined) for couples. The government claimed this would benefit 52,000 older people by 2026-27. Rishworth explained the energy relief would be available from July 2023. The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) released its final determination on May 25, with a revised price increase higher than the March draft that saw a 20 to 22 per cent rise. AER chair Clare Savage said it had been a “difficult decision” but high wholesale energy costs continued to hike up retail prices. “No one wants to see rising prices, and we recognise this is a difficult time, that’s why it’s important for consumers to shop around for a better deal,” she said. Following the AER’s announcement, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton appeared on Today and said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had “lied” to Australians about energy prices. “Let’s be very clear about it, he promised on 97 occasions your bill would go down by $275,” he told Today host Karl Stefanovic. “I think the government’s completely underestimating how much families and small businesses are hurting at the moment.” The bill comes shortly after the Australian Energy Regulator revealed electric prices were set to increase by 25 per cent for about 600,000 customers across three states from July 1. The federal government’s latest budget committed to $3 billion in financial support for those struggling to pay their power bill. Image credit: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

1 in 4 households struggle to pay power bills. Here are 5 ways to tackle hidden energy poverty

<a href="https://energyconsumersaustralia.com.au/news/how-increases-in-energy-prices-are-impacting-consumers#:%7E:text=Energy%2520affordability%2520is%2520not%2520just,in%2520the%2520past%252012%2520months.">One in four Australian households</a> are finding it hard to pay their gas and electricity bills. As winter looms, <a href="https://www.aer.gov.au/news-release/default-market-offer-2023%25E2%2580%259324-draft-determination">energy price rises</a> will make it even harder. Cold homes and disconnections resulting from energy poverty threaten people’s health and wellbeing. <a href="https://www.acoss.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ACOSS-cost-of-living-report2-March-2023_web_FINAL.pdf">Income support for welfare recipients</a> and retrofitting homes to make them more thermally efficient – by adding insulation, for example – can ease the burden. And when homes are not too cold or hot, <a href="https://theconversation.com/fuel-poverty-makes-you-sick-so-why-has-nothing-changed-since-i-was-a-child-living-in-a-cold-home-201787">people’s health benefits</a>. This in turn <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/319556">eases pressure on the public health system</a>. However, many people are missing out on assistance as programs often do not recognise their difficulties. Their energy vulnerability is hidden. <h2>What forms does hidden energy poverty take?</h2> <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629623000737">Our newly published study</a> has revealed six aspects of hidden energy vulnerability. These are: <ol> <li> underconsumption – households limit or turn off cooling, heating and/or lights to avoid disconnections </li> <li> incidental masking – other welfare support, such as rent relief, masks difficulties in paying energy bills </li> <li> some households disguise energy poverty by using public facilities such as showers or pooling money for bills between families </li> <li> some people conceal their hardship due to pride or fear of legal consequences, such as losing custody of children if food cannot be refrigerated because the power has been cut off </li> <li> poor understanding of energy efficiency and the health risks of cold or hot homes adds to the problem </li> <li> eligibility criteria for energy assistance programs may exclude some vulnerable households. For example, people with income just above the welfare threshold are missing out on energy concessions. Energy retailer hardship programs also ignore people who have voluntarily disconnected due to financial hardship. </li> </ol> <h2>5 ways to help these households</h2> Our studies suggest trusted intermediaries such as people working in health, energy and social services can play a vital role in identifying and supporting such households. First, energy efficiency and hardship initiatives may be <a href="https://www.rmit.edu.au/about/schools-colleges/property-construction-and-project-management/research/research-centres-and-groups/sustainable-building-innovation-laboratory/projects/care-at-home-system-improvements">integrated into the My Aged Care in-home care system</a>. Energy poverty risk identification, response and referral could be built into the national service’s assessment form. This could leverage existing client screening processes. The system’s front-line staff could connect at-risk householders with energy counsellors. These counsellors could help people access better energy contracts, concessions, home retrofits and appliance upgrade programs. A new Commonwealth “energy supplement” could help pay for essential energy-related home modifications. This would help avoid My Aged Care funds being diverted from immediate healthcare needs. Second, general practitioners and other health professionals could help identify energy vulnerability among patients with medical conditions of concern. They could also provide letters of support emphasising renters’ health-based need for air conditioners or heaters. Third, energy providers could use household energy data to identify those that seem to be under-consuming or are often disconnected. They could also identify those that are not on “best offer” deals. They could be proactive in checking struggling householders’ eligibility for ongoing energy concessions and one-off debt relief grants offered by states and territories. Energy providers could also make it easier for social housing providers to ensure concessions for tenants renew automatically. Fourth, local councils could use their data to identify at-risk householders. They might include those with a disability parking permit, discounted council rates or in arrears, on the social housing waiting list, Meals on Wheels clients and social housing tenants. Maternal and child health nurses and home and community care workers making home visits could call attention to cold or hot homes. Councils could employ in-house energy counsellors to provide assistance and energy literacy training. Council home maintenance teams could develop bulk-buying, insulation and neighbourhood retrofit programs. Strategies to reduce vulnerability to energy poverty should be part of municipal public health and wellbeing plans. Under these strategies, net-zero-carbon funds set up by states and local councils to reduce emissions could finance targeted housing retrofits. We also suggest setting up a central helpline to improve access to energy assistance via local referrals. Fifth, residential energy-efficiency programs could become more person-centric. For example, we already have <a href="https://www.homescorecard.gov.au/">Residential Efficiency Scorecard</a> audits to assess the thermal quality of a home. These audits could also explore whether concessions and better energy deals are available to the household. <h2>Building capacity at all levels</h2> <a href="https://cur.org.au/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/tackling-hidden-energy-final.pdf">Capacity-building strategies</a> are needed at all levels – individual, community and government – to overcome the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629623000737">challenges</a> of reducing energy poverty. Current obstacles include the competing priorities of service providers, lack of time and resources, and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214629622003553">poor co-ordination between siloed</a> programs and services. Access to essential energy services should be part of state and local governments’ strategic health plans. Housing, energy and health departments could work together to include housing retrofits in preventive health programs. A comprehensive approach is needed to overcome hidden energy poverty. It must include public education, integrated services and well-funded energy-efficiency programs. Regulatory reforms and ongoing funding are both needed to improve the availability of energy-efficient, affordable homes for tenants. Our suggested strategies start with improving the skills and knowledge of trusted intermediaries. Doctors, social workers, housing officers, community nurses and volunteers can play a central role. Using these front-line professionals to help identify and act on energy poverty offers a novel, cost-effective and targeted solution. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-in-4-households-struggle-to-pay-power-bills-here-are-5-ways-to-tackle-hidden-energy-poverty-204672" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Images: Getty

Home Hints & Tips

Why are electricity prices going up again, and will it ever end?

Households and businesses are set for more hip-pocket pain after regulators on Wednesday released draft details of electricity price rises in four Australian states. The Australian Energy Regulator <a href="https://www.aer.gov.au/news-release/default-market-offer-2023%E2%80%9324-draft-determination">revealed</a> residential customers on standard plans should brace for price increases of up to 24% in the next financial year. The price rises apply to households in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. The Victorian regulator <a href="https://www.esc.vic.gov.au/media-centre/victorian-default-offer-2023-24-draft-decision">also flagged</a> an electricity price hike of up to 30% in that state. It’s another blow in an already difficult financial situation for many, as interest rates continue to rise and inflation soars. Consumers are justified in asking: why is this happening? And is there an end in sight? <h2>The basics, explained</h2> The regulator released a draft of what’s known as the “default market offer”. It’s basically the maximum amount energy retailers can charge customers on default energy plans. So what’s a default energy plan? It’s the standard plan you’re on if you didn’t negotiate a special deal with your energy retailer, or if a deal you were on has expired. According to the ABC, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-15/australian-energy-regulator-default-market-offer/102094290">around one million</a> electricity customers in the four states mentioned above are on default market offers. Many consumers are on default plans because they don’t have the time or inclination to engage with their electricity retailer to negotiate a better deal. Others, quite understandably, find the whole process too confusing to navigate. That’s why default market offers were introduced. Both the federal and Victorian policies were developed <a href="https://www.esc.vic.gov.au/electricity-and-gas/inquiries-studies-and-reviews/electricity-and-gas-retail-markets-review-implementation-2018">after</a> <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-releases-blueprint-to-reduce-electricity-prices">reviews</a> found competition in retail electricity markets was not leading to lower prices for households or small businesses. The Victorian default offer began <a href="https://www.esc.vic.gov.au/electricity-and-gas/inquiries-studies-and-reviews/electricity-and-gas-retail-markets-review-implementation-2018">in 2019</a>. The federal measure <a href="https://www.aer.gov.au/retail-markets/guidelines-reviews/default-market-offer-prices-2023%E2%80%9324">was applied</a> <a href="https://www.aer.gov.au/retail-markets/guidelines-reviews/default-market-offer-prices-2020%E2%80%9321">in 2020</a>. The regulators release a draft determination ahead of a final decision, expected soon. <h2>So why the price hike?</h2> Your electricity bill comprises several different charges. The biggest ones are: - wholesale energy costs: the price generators such as coal and gas plants charge your retailer for the electricity delivered to you - network costs: the price charged by companies that own the “poles and wires” – transmission lines, transformers, electricity poles and the like – needed to get the electricity to your home - retail costs: the total amount needed by an electricity retailer to operate – such as issuing bills, providing customer service, marketing themselves – as well as to make a reasonable profit. Regulators calculate the default market offer by considering each of these price components. The increased default market offers are mostly due to increases in wholesale prices. Wholesale prices increased in recent months almost entirely as a result of sanctions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. It led to a global shortage of natural gas. This was exacerbated when Russia <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-31/russia-to-cut-gas-exports-to-shell-orsted-over-rubles-dispute">withdrew gas</a> supplies from the European market. Even though the energy shocks were happening half a world away from Australia, it affected domestic gas prices here. Why? Because most of Australia’s east coast gas is exported, which means its price is largely determined by the global price. This could have been avoided if the federal government has a mechanism to keep some of that gas for the domestic market – in other words, if it had a so-called “gas reservation policy”. But the current and previous governments have <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/it-s-ridiculous-architect-of-wa-policy-calls-for-national-gas-reservation-20220616-p5au8q.html">refused</a> to implement this. The federal regulator said the planned retirement of AGL’s ageing Liddell coal-fired power station in the NSW Hunter Valley contributed to its decision. Liddell is one of the biggest coal-fired generators in the national electricity market, and the closure is likely to lead to a short-term tightening of supplies. Another factor affecting the regulators’ decision relates to a strategy electricity retailers use to protect themselves against volatile wholesale prices in future. The strategy, known as hedge contracts, <a href="https://www.aemc.gov.au/energy-system/electricity/electricity-market/spot-and-contract-markets">fixes the wholesale price</a> retailers pay for electricity over a long period – up to several years. The price set in hedge contracts struck over the past year or so was influenced by Australia’s <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1467-8462.12492">domestic gas crisis</a> in 2022, which caused massive rises in wholesale electricity prices. <h2>What to expect down the track</h2> Australian Energy Regulator chair Clare Savage on Wednesday said the price increases <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-15/australian-energy-regulator-default-market-offer/102094290">could have been much higher</a>, if not for intervention by the Albanese government late last year to cap prices in Australia’s gas and coal markets. Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen says those price caps have saved households between A$268 and $530. The caps are likely to cause further falls in the default market offer in coming years. But the policy appears to be only an interim measure until the global supply shortage eases. In the longer term, renewable energy offers a ray of hope. The federal government has set a target of 82% renewable electricity by 2030. But of course, a few significant <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/understanding-whats-next-for-australias-main-electricity-market/">complementary measures</a> – such as more investment in transmission networks and energy storage – are needed. This investment would support the transition to a zero-emissions electricity sector. Importantly, it would also insulate long-suffering consumers from volatile fossil fuel prices. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-electricity-prices-going-up-again-and-will-it-ever-end-201869" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Home Hints & Tips

“Divorce him!” Man refuses to pay for wife’s epidural

A man has outraged the internet after refusing to pay for half his wife’s medical bills from the birth of their child, after she had an epidural which he considers a “luxury”. The new mum took to Reddit to ask if she was being unreasonable for wanting to split the $8,000 bill with her partner of over a decade. The anonymous woman explained that everything was going well after giving birth until the hospital bills arrived. She explained that she originally planned for an unmedicated birth, but after a gruelling 24-hour labour, decided to get the epidural. Her husband was seemingly supportive of her decision at the time, but when the bills arrived, refused to foot half the bill for her pain relief. She wrote, “When the bill came, he brought it to me to pay all $8,000, after insurance from my personal savings.” “I asked why, and he said, ‘You’re the one that couldn’t hold on for a few more hours and jacked up the bill with all your meds and an extra night’s stay,’ and he shouldn’t have to pay for all extra requests.” She explained that he said that if she wanted “luxury” she should be the one paying for it. The “luxury” that he is referring to include a lactation consultant, blood tests, postpartum supplies and an epidural, so not exactly anything fun. She went on to explain that they had argued about halving the costs, to which he called her a “princess” for expecting him to pony up the cash. She added that she ultimately paid the birth bill but is now questioning her entire marriage. “I feel disrespected. Do I have the right to feel this way, or is it just the hormones?” she wrote. Outraged commenters were quick to tear the man to shreds, urging the woman to leave her man as quickly as possible. One person wrote, “He should have paid the whole bill! She’s already paid with her body.” Another said, “Divorce his a**!” while another said, “I'd be absolutely DONE if my husband pulled this shit. His kid too, his cost too.” One person put it simply, “Holy s**t. Throw the whole man out.” Image credits: Getty Images

Caring

Dad’s horror at six-year-old’s massive bill

A young boy from Michigan has learned a tasty lesson in money management. Six-year-old Mason Stonehouse had been playing on his dad’s phone when he discovered his soon-to-be favourite app - food delivery service Grubhub. After putting his son to bed, Mason’s father Keith was shocked to find delivery drivers began to frequent their doorstep, one after the other leaving something behind. Keith likened the strange evening to a Saturday Night Live skit, and in doorbell camera footage he could be heard asking one of the drivers “what the hell is going on?” A look at his phone confirmed that Mason had pulled off a parent’s nightmare - the boy had ordered almost $2,000 (AUD) of food from restaurants all across their town. Speaking with TODAY.com, Keith explained that the two were having father and son time in front of the TV when Mason asked to use Keith’s phone. Mason often uses his dad’s phone to play educational games, so Keith thought nothing of it, allowing Mason 30 minutes with the device. Keith recalled how Mason made his way downstairs to play, and went to bed without a fuss when his half hour was up. “A 6-year-old going to bed is not normally an easy thing but he was surprisingly really good,” he said. “There was no fight, no ‘I’m hungry’, or making up stuff to stay up. He just went to bed, and I was like, ‘Wow, this is amazing, I wish Mom was here to witness this’. And all of a sudden I hear the doorbell.” To various news outlets, Keith has mentioned how it was “car after car” that kept “coming and coming” to the family’s home in Chesterfield Township. In his own Facebook post about the incident, he shared Mason’s shopping list, telling his friends “if you’re hungry and you’re in the mood for 5 orders of jumbo shrimp, salad, grape leaves, rice, 3 hanis, several orders of chilli cheese fries, chicken shawarma sandwiches, and plenty of Ice cream - swing on by SMH.” Keith saw Mason’s delectable adventure to an end when his bank declined an order of $635 (AUD) for pepperoni pizza. As he told Good Morning America, this “would’ve been on top of the $1,000 worth of food that was piling in my kitchen.” This wasn’t even Mason’s first order of the evening from the same establishment - Happy’s Pizza for a happy Mason - with a sizable jumbo shrimp delivery already having made it to their doorstep. MLive.com heard from Keith that he tried to speak to Mason about what had happened, but soon discovered that their priorities weren’t exactly aligned, “I was trying to explain to him that this wasn’t good and he puts his hand up and stops me and says, ‘Dad, did the pepperoni pizzas come yet?’” “I had to walk out of the room. I didn’t know if I should get mad or laugh,” he admitted. Whether the entire situation prompted more amusement or exasperation from the Stonehouses, they assured everyone that none of Mason’s bouncy went to waste, with the food going to their neighbours, and their phones well away from Mason’s sneaky shopping. Images: Facebook

Money & Banking

Why Peter FitzSimons has defended Prince Harry

Outspoken journo and author Peter FitzSimons has defended Prince Harry in the wake of the slew of intimate bombshell revelations the young royal’s memoir Spare has presented to the public. Mr FitzSimons, who is the husband of Lisa Wilkinson, responded firmly to a Twitter commenter who branded the prince a “sook” and a “weak man” who was effectively being “controlled by a manipulative woman” – stating that Harry’s wife Meghan Markle was in fact the direct cause for him “knifing his own family” with the release of Spare, and that “this is her revenge…using him to do the dirty work.” “That is way too simplistic, in my view,” wrote FitzSimons in response to the Twitter user. “His broad point is, "They have leaked against me and my wife for years. I am not leaking, I am putting my name to my views, and this is what happened." And to me he sounds credible.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> That is way too simplistic, in my view. His broad point is, "They have leaked against me and my wife for years. I am not leaking, I am putting my name to my views, and this is what happened." And to me he sounds credible. <a href="https://t.co/S0owBdBiMP">https://t.co/S0owBdBiMP</a> — Peter FitzSimons (@Peter_Fitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Peter_Fitz/status/1612380697603473408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2023</a></blockquote> Prince Harry has recently defended his actions in revealing family secrets in the biography during interviews with UK and US TV networks, saying that he was simply retaliating against being leaked against by other royals – including his stepmother Camilla Parker Bowles. FitzSimons appears to agree with this stance, continuing: “As to the notion that he shouldn't tell family secrets, his equal point is that everyone else in the Royal Family has been leaking to the press for years. They have told several books worth, courtesy of the tabloid press. So, for once, he can tell his own story.” In response to a different Twitter user who asked why an “intelligent man” would waste time thinking about the royal family, FitzSimons further revealed his reasons for defending Prince Harry, suggesting that the fallout between the young prince and the rest of the royal family would almost certainly have implications in the Australian republic debate. “One reason is, the whole imbroglio speaks to the republic. The notion that this is a special family - put there by God to be so much better than the rest of us, that they must reign over us - is wearing a bit thin, yes?” he tweeted. Despite having stepped down as head of the Australian Republican Movement last October, FitzSimons continues to lobby for Australia to dispense with heads of state that lie within a royal family. On Tuesday morning Jan 10, Bill Shorten – Minister for Government Services for the Albanese government – also pushed for Australia to become a republic by saying on the Today show: “It's a shame to see a family bust-up but perhaps at the deepest level, why do we need to keep borrowing a dysfunctional British family to be the Head of State of Australia? 'It's gossip but scintillating. To me it just shows there's a lot of damage and trauma but at another level this is just family gossip. “And it reminds me that this family are the head of state of Australia, so it really puts a question mark around our government structures, where we've got a feuding family on the other side of the world who seem to really not like each other very much - they're actually the head of Australia.” Images: Instagram

News

Brekkies, barbies, mozzies: why do Aussies shorten so many words?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kate-burridge-130136">Kate Burridge</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/howard-manns-111255">Howard Manns</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> Australians sure do like those brekkies, barbies and mozzies. We’re not talking about “actual” mozzies here. We’re defo (definitely) talking about words — and Aussies can’t seem to get enough of these shortened words. <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1988059">Some</a> say we’re lazy for clipping them. <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/language-in-society/article/abs/does-language-reflect-culture-evidence-from-australian-english/75BDD40DC2429903CABAA39BB9CA83B7">Others</a> claim it’s just Aussies knocking words down to size — ta, we’ll have a glass of cab sav or savvy b instead of whatever that is in French. Our most beloved shortenings end in -ie/y and -o. Journos often ask us why Aussies use them, and whether they’ll last. Well, not only are we still using them, seppos (Americans) and pommies (Brits) are joining the action, too. Here’s an uplifting story for your hollies (holidays) about Australia’s “<a href="https://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/story-australian-english/">incredible shrinking words</a>”. <h2>Endings that bond and bind us</h2> These alternative forms of words are often described as “diminutives” (or hypocoristics). Pet names with such endings can show we have a warm or simply friendly attitude toward something or someone (think of the -s on Cuddles). Certainly, on names, -ie/y and -o are often affectionate (think Susy and Robbo). But the vast majority of Aussie diminutives are doing something different. Indeed, saying journo or pollie doesn’t usually indicate we’re thinking of journalists and politicians as small and endearing things. These “diminutives” are also a world away from the birdies and doggies of the nursery. Adult Australians might cheerfully talk about blowies and trackies, but not birdies and doggies — well, unless it’s on the golf course or perhaps in reference to the Western Bulldogs getting a specky (spectacular mark). For Australian National University linguist <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Semantics_Culture_and_Cognition.html?id=5XM8DwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y">Anna Wierzbicka</a>, these expressions are among the most culturally salient features of Australian English — expressions of informality and solidarity that are “uniquely suited to the Anglo-Australian ethos […] and style of interaction”. Experiments by Australian linguists have empirically confirmed the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/298354067">social effects</a> of these embellished words. Colloquialisms such as barbie and smoko are like accents – part of the glue that sticks Australian English speakers together. <h2>Are -ie/y endings darlings or weaklings?</h2> Diminutives can die out when they take on the burden of new social meanings. One of the oldest endings (found as far back as Anglo-Saxon times) is -ling. We see it still on words like twinkling and darling. However, by modern times it had flipped and become contemptuous, especially when used of humans (think of weakling and underling). In contrast to -ling, our -ie/-y endings carry important, positive meanings, and there’s no sign yet that we’re giving up on them. Those sunnies, scungies, boardies, cozzies, stubbies and trackies are still the stuff of our sartorial summer fashion. <a href="https://theconversation.com/get-yer-hand-off-it-mate-australian-slang-is-not-dying-90022">Slang</a> might come and go, but the process that transforms sunglasses into sunnies and tracksuit pants into trackies continues to thrive. So thriving in fact are these expressions that some are among Australia’s <a href="http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150427-pervs-greenies-and-ratbags">successful exports</a>. International celebrities include greenie, pollie, surfie, mozzie, budgie (and its offshoot budgie smugglers). And let’s not forget the linguistic rockstar that is selfie – its meteoric rise to stardom in 2013 saw it crowned <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/19/living/selfie-word-of-the-year/index.html">Word of the Year</a> by Oxford Dictionaries, and also by the Van Dale dictionary in the Netherlands. We are, however, constantly refreshing our stock of -ie/y words. Many of the gems in Wendy Allen’s 1980s collection of youth slang in Melbourne (Teenage speech) have bitten the dust (for example, scottie from “he’s got no friends” -> “s’got no friends” -> “s’got + ie”). But the second edition of the Australian National Dictionary shows us how many -ie/y words have proliferated since the 1980s/1990s (firie, tradie, trackie daks). <h2>Bottle-o, milko and smoko: still alive-o?</h2> That other long-time favourite ending -o occurs all round the English-speaking world. However, as the Oxford English Dictionary describes, its use “is especially associated with Australia”. The earliest Australian examples (like milko, rabbito, bottle-o) date from the 19th century and are abbreviated nouns referring to a person’s trade (“milkman”, “rabbit-seller” “bottle-collector”). Sometimes they appear with -oh because of their association with street calls, and this use is old – think of those cockles and mussels of 18th century London, all very much “alive, alive-oh”. Our love of this -o suffix may also owe something to Irish English. However, Australian linguist <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110208412.2.398/html?lang=en">Jane Simpson</a> points out it has much wider applications in Australia (and New Zealand), as shown by place names such as Rotto (Rottnest Island), Freo (Fremantle), Paddo (Paddington) and common nouns such as compo (compensation), ambo (ambulance driver) and bowlo (bowling club). And we’re exporting these too – demo, preggo and muso have made it into the wider world. As with -ie/y endings, our -o endings don’t seem to be going anywhere in a hurry. However, their long-term survival seems slightly less assured than -ie/y. We’re still seeing newer coinages (such as housos), but a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241095924_Did_you_have_a_choccie_bickie_this_arvo_A_quantitative_look_at_Australian_hypocoristics">2011 study</a> suggests young people might be using this one less than previous generations. <h2>Rellies or rellos, garbies or garbos: is there a pattern?</h2> There are wharfies and truckies but not wharfos and truckos; garbos and musos but not garbies and musies. People who ride motorcycles are generally bikers; those who belong to motorcycle gangs tend to be bikies. So what’s wrong with bikos? And why are there gaps? Those who build houses are neither buildos nor buildies. Undoubtedly there are nuanced differences of meaning involved here. Does weirdie describe unconventional people more affectionately than weirdo, or even weird person? Certainly there’s a world of difference between the sicko (psychologically sick person) and the sickie (leave you take when you’re sick – or is that when you’re not sick?). You tell us: do you prefer a lammo or a lammie for the small chocolate and coconut–covered cake? And are members of your family rellos or rellies? There’s a lot of lexicographers, linguists and other word nerds who haven’t figured this out.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/192616/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kate-burridge-130136">Kate Burridge</a>, Professor of Linguistics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/howard-manns-111255">Howard Manns</a>, Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/brekkies-barbies-mozzies-why-do-aussies-shorten-so-many-words-192616">original article</a>. Image: Getty

Domestic Travel

Aussies set for power bill relief just before Christmas

The Albanese government has introduced a bill to help battling Aussies feel some relief during the ongoing cost of living crisis by bringing down the cost of unsustainable energy prices. Treasurer Jim Chalmers says Australians need “urgent, targeted, meaningful action” to take some of the sting out of the increasing power costs, which will be addressed through a new energy package to give households and small businesses some relief. MPs and senators were recalled to Canberra for a special session of parliament on Thursday to debate the government’s package, as it will now sail through both houses after Anthony Albanese secured the Senate support of the Greens, David Pocock, and the Jacqui Lambie Network. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has confirmed the Coalition will not support the Bill, saying it would be “catastrophic” for Australian economic policy. Once passed, gas prices will be capped at $12 a gigajoule for 12 months, which the government says will slash power bills by about $230. The Queensland and NSW governments will also enforce a cap on coal for the same amount of time, at $125 a tonne. The package also includes $1.5 billion of additional relief to small businesses and some households. In introducing the Bill in the House on Thursday morning, Dr Chalmers said without urgent market intervention, retail gas prices were tipped to increase by a further 20 per cent and electricity prices by 36 per cent in the next financial year. “That’s why urgent action is needed … And when we vote today, every member of this place will make a choice,” he said. “To help Australians with rising energy bills – or to make it even harder for them.” “To save Australian jobs – or to surrender them. “ “We choose to protect households and small businesses. We choose to defend our local industries. And we choose to save local jobs.” Image credits: Getty Images

Money & Banking

Banksy: who should foot the bill to protect his work in public spaces?

When a mural by artist Banksy <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46617742">appeared on a garage wall</a> in Port Talbot, the building’s owner, Ian Lewis, had no idea just <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46771722">how many people</a> would want to get a good look at it. The mural has attracted <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46759349">thousands of visitors</a> and Lewis has been keen to <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46617742">protect it</a>, by employing guards, and building a see-through covering over the work. But should there even be security on a piece of graffiti? After all, <a href="https://hyperallergic.com/38778/occupying-the-walls-graffiti-as-political-protest/">the essence of graffiti</a> is that it is temporary and subject to the possibility of being covered over with the next slogan or image. It has long been one of the means by which people can <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2017/may/17/writing-wall-political-graffiti-banksy-brexit-trump-in-pictures">make their views known</a> in a very public way without official sanction. It is a form of protest that visually takes up public space and asks for no endorsement and often no individual credit. The list of graffiti artists who have gained recognition in the contemporary art world is not a long one. Shepherd Fairey, who <a href="https://www.artic.edu/artworks/229396/barack-obama-hope-poster">designed the Obama “Hope” poster</a>, and <a href="https://www.theartstory.org/artist-basquiat-jean-michel.htm">Jean Michel Basquiat</a> are two of the most well known. Banksy himself has been quoted as saying that he never craved commercial success and that it’s actually <a href="https://www.villagevoice.com/2013/10/09/village-voice-exclusive-an-interview-with-banksy-street-art-cult-hero-international-man-of-mystery/">a mark of failure for a graffiti artist</a>. A lofty sentiment, but whether he wants it or not, the popularity of Banksy’s work is phenomenal. The pared down stencil style coupled with often highly astute political commentary and visual puns is easy to read. It is enough to satisfy even those for whom art should consist of a “proper picture of something”. It also lends itself very well to reproduction and copying. I actually have a mug emblazoned with Banksy style rats sitting on my desk as I write. This is what happens when an iconoclast becomes an icon. What started out as a practice that deliberately subverted the concept of art as an exclusive, costly investment, has now become just as commodified as the latest piece by <a href="https://www.theartstory.org/artist-hirst-damien.htm">Damien Hirst</a>. <h2>Banksy’s bankability</h2> I’m personally on the fence about some of Banksy’s more recent work. I’m completely on board with the political nature of the imagery and most definitely share a lot of his ideological sentiments, but there is a degree to which he is becoming a parody of himself. For example, while it’s easy to appreciate the point he was making with the recently auctioned self-destructing drawing “<a href="https://theconversation.com/banksy-i-was-in-the-room-when-his-painting-shredded-and-enhanced-his-brand-104660">Love is in the Bin</a>”, no one could convince me that he was unaware of the effect that the action would have on his bankability. Given he knows the impact his work can have, was it selfish of Banksy to impose this latest piece on the unsuspecting garage owner? Or was it an act of extreme philanthropy, bestowing on Port Talbot a gift that can be used either to benefit the individual or the community? He must have known that Lewis would be plagued with attention, and the inevitability of this imposed cultural responsibility must surely have at least crossed Banksy’s mind. Public art comes in many diverse forms, from the monumental statues commemorating historical figures, to the temporary and often illegal murals created by contemporary graffiti artists. My own practice is informed by an ethos of inclusion that places the nearby community at the centre of decisions about how it is created, themed and managed. Because of that philosophical background, I do find Banksy’s imposition of his work without regard for its effect on the local community to be irritatingly entitled. However, the <a href="https://www.theartstory.org/artist-banksy-artworks.htm">issues he highlights</a> such as the <a href="https://theartstack.com/artist/banksy/i-remember-when-all-this-was-trees">capitalist obsession with growth</a> over sustainability, and <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/banksy-port-talbot-graffiti-wales-michael-sheen-steel-pollution-environment-a8692821.html">industrial air pollution</a> are relevant and important to a much wider community, so I appreciate that by using his fame to draw attention to them he is carrying out a form of community service. The Welsh government <a href="https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/banksy-collector-willing-pay-six-15656998">has since confirmed</a> it will be taking over security for the Port Talbot artwork, and is discussing the future of the piece. Whether by design or because he just isn’t interested in how the work is used, it’s part of Banksy’s artistic practice to leave the work to the mercy of others when it’s complete. However, it could be argued that he could have used <a href="https://www.artspace.com/magazine/art_101/close_look/how-does-banksy-make-money-or-a-lesson-in-art-market-economics-55352">some of his own money</a> to help protect the work, and mitigate against any grief <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46810787">he’s caused the garage owner</a>. I’d personally like to see the work sold, and the proceeds used to address some of the social and political issues that Banksy highlights with his work. It worked for Dennis Stinchcombe who, when a mural entitled Mobile Lovers appeared on the doorway of his Bristol youth club in 2014, sold the work and used the funds <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46810787">to save the struggling organisation</a>. Whatever happens now, one thing is certain: Banksy certainly knows how to get his work in the news. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/banksy-who-should-foot-the-bill-to-protect-his-work-in-public-spaces-109831" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Art

"Is this real?" Family in shock after Kate Winslet pays $30k power bill

Kate Winslet has stepped in to help ease the financial strain on a hard-working family, who are full-time carers for their disabled daughter. Mum-of-four Carolynne Hunter started a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/medical-care-for-freya-amid-the-energycrisis?qid=3ad717b05ab76c3332ad308b4e5d11ae" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page to help pay for her electricity bill after they were warned by the council that their bill – normally already high at £6500 ($A11,500) a year – was going to almost triple to the eye-watering amount of £17,000 ($A30,000). Carolynne said her daughter Freya, 12, has severe cerebral palsy and chronic breathing problems, and relies on the oxygen machine to help her breathe. “Freya has the most beautiful smile,” Ms Hunter wrote in the GoFundMe. She said her daughter was “enriching our lives every day”. With the cost of living crisis reaching catastrophic levels in the UK, the family, who live in a council house in the Scottish town of Tillicoultry, didn’t know how they were going to afford the massive bills. “I have no way of reducing the usage of energy in our home,” the 49-year-old mum wrote. “My older daughter and I have historically lived in fuel poverty to keep Freya safe and comfortable making sure all her medical needs are being met whilst allowing me to keep my bills as low as possible. “We dread every winter in our cold home.” Carolynne got the shock of her life when her GoFundMe page raised the amount of money needed with one donation, with the $30,000 gift coming from "Kate Winslet and Family". The mum told <a title="www.bbc.com" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-63599369">BBC Scotland</a> she “burst into tears” at the news that the actress had made the huge donation. “Our journey as family has been very traumatic and I just feel done at this point in my life,” she said. “When I heard about the money I just burst into tears – I thought it wasn’t even real. I’m still thinking is this real?” Image credits: GoFundMe / Getty Images

Caring

13 ways you’re shortening the life of your vacuum cleaner

You don't remove clogs Do a quick visual check for clogs to the hose and wand after every time you use your vacuum cleaner. Unclogging your hoses not only improves suction power, but it can help the vacuum run more efficiently and last longer. If you can’t reach the jammed debris with your hand, use a mop handle or a gardening stake to push it through. An easy test: After detaching the hose and wand, try sliding a coin through them. If it gets stuck, you know it’s clogged. Not winding up the cord after you've finished It’s easy to get lazy and leave the power cord out to get stepped on by family and pets. But by winding the cord into a tidy coil after vacuuming, you can prevent damage, while also avoiding potential hazards including electrocution for family pets or inquisitive crawlers who like to chew. If you don’t have time to wrap up the cord, at the very least, you should always unplug it. You're not detangling brushes Most vacuum cleaners have rotating brushes at the intake port that kick dust and dirt loose from the carpet so they can get sucked up by the air stream. But when hair, pet fur, or loose string gets trapped in the brushes, they can’t work as effectively. Using a small pair of scissors, gently cut through the debris to free up the brushes, then use a comb to smooth them out. Not replacing the bag or emptying the canister Whether your vacuum uses a bag, canister, or cup, an overfilled unit will run less efficiently and not last as long. While it’s easy to tell when a bagless unit is full, it can be harder to tell when a vacuum bag needs replacing. If you notice a drop in suction, it could be a sign it’s full of lightweight, fluffy material such as pet hair. For maximum performance and to make your vacuum last longer, replace the bag or empty the canister or cup when it is half to two-thirds full. You're not changing out or cleaning the filters Each vacuum is different, but your manual should indicate how often filters need to be replaced or cleaned. Many vacuum models come with an accordion-shaped paper filter and a sponge-like ring filter. For units with washable filters, be sure to follow the washing guidelines from the manual. Of course, the frequency will vary depending on how often you vacuum and how messy your floors are. If the filter looks dirty, it’s time to switch it out or clean it. You're not replacing the drive belt This belt wraps around the beater brush allowing it to turn. If it’s not working correctly, the beater brush won’t loosen dirt and debris from the carpet fibres. By flipping the power-head over, you can glance at the belt, looking for tears or cracks. If the belt looks loose, that’s another sign it’s time for a new belt. Using the wrong setting Most vacuum cleaners have different settings depending on the type of flooring you are cleaning, i.e. wood or carpet. If you’re using the wrong setting, this can render the vacuum cleaner less effective and may shorten the life of your unit. “Setting your vacuum on the lowest setting may not be the best option to get enough airflow for the suction action,” reports Angie’s List. Storing attachments separately Attachments usually come with a storage spot, either on the vacuum itself or in a separate box or bag, yet it’s easy to get lazy. Sometimes, we leave a dusting brush or an upholstery tool on the side table instead of walking it down to the hall cupboard. Not that big of a deal, right? Until it gets lost or stolen by your puppy for her new chew toy. By storing the attachments together with the vacuum cleaner in a safe spot, parts are less likely to be damaged or get lost. Not pre-cleaning the areas To stretch out the life of your vacuum cleaner, give the room a once-over. Move backpacks, socks, or clothing with drawstrings to prevent them from catching in the belt. While you can turn off the vacuum and pull them out, over time it could loosen the belt and shorten the life of your vacuum cleaner. Next, check for fallen food items like chips or cookies or small toys like building bricks. Scoop them before vacuuming the area. Not stopping when there's smoke This might seem really obvious, but sometimes we get into turbo-mode – pushing the vacuum beyond its limits. Then even when we smell smoke, we optimistically assume we can fit in just one more room before problem-solving. But prevention is key. “When stress to the motor is present, the motor heats up and usually burns the belt, causing smoke,” suggests Do It Yourself. They advise cutting the burnt belt off with scissors, then replacing it before continuing to vacuum. Using it too often Think about what’s making your floors dirty in the first place, then try to circumvent it so you can use your vacuum cleaner less frequently. Try storing your shoes in a bin by the front door, for instance. Other tricks: Instead of taking snacks to your TV-room, eat at your kitchen table so you don’t get crumbs everywhere, and brush pets outdoors on a regular basis to decrease the amount of pet hair on your floors and furniture. Not using a surge protector These aren’t just for your computers or TVs. A surge protector can “prevent an electronic shortage from spurts of electricity that go beyond the voltage limits.” The stronger the burst, the more likely your vacuum can get damaged. Causes of power surges vary from downed power lines to lightning storms. Not reading the manual Many people skip reading the manual until there is a problem, but by then it might be too late. Each company’s manual contains important safety instructions and warnings, such as “Do not handle the machine or plug with wet hands.” Pretty obvious – sure – but it could save your life. They also give troubleshooting tips for how to care for and maintain your vacuum cleaner along with warranty information, which is especially important if you are switching to a new brand. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/home-tips/13-ways-youre-shortening-the-life-of-your-vacuum-cleaner?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

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"There's no way": Man receives $52 billion tax bill

Tourist slapped with $225k bill after simple mistake

Millions of Aussies set for power bill relief

AusPost customer faces extra charge for using cash

7 ways you’re shortening the lifespan of your refrigerator

Radio host mourns passing of wife after 30-year marriage

Duke and Duchess ordered to shorten their baby's name

"My unexpected $223,000 overseas bill"

How to avoid mobile phone bill horror stories when travelling

Energy bill relief to benefit just one Aussie demographic

1 in 4 households struggle to pay power bills. Here are 5 ways to tackle hidden energy poverty

Why are electricity prices going up again, and will it ever end?

“Divorce him!” Man refuses to pay for wife’s epidural

Dad’s horror at six-year-old’s massive bill

Why Peter FitzSimons has defended Prince Harry

Brekkies, barbies, mozzies: why do Aussies shorten so many words?

Aussies set for power bill relief just before Christmas

Banksy: who should foot the bill to protect his work in public spaces?

"Is this real?" Family in shock after Kate Winslet pays $30k power bill

13 ways you’re shortening the life of your vacuum cleaner

Our Partners

News

Shop

Catalogues

Newspaper

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Compare

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

"There's no way": Man receives $52 billion tax bill

Tourist slapped with $225k bill after simple mistake

Millions of Aussies set for power bill relief

AusPost customer faces extra charge for using cash

7 ways you’re shortening the lifespan of your refrigerator

Radio host mourns passing of wife after 30-year marriage

Duke and Duchess ordered to shorten their baby's name

"My unexpected $223,000 overseas bill"

How to avoid mobile phone bill horror stories when travelling

Energy bill relief to benefit just one Aussie demographic

1 in 4 households struggle to pay power bills. Here are 5 ways to tackle hidden energy poverty

Why are electricity prices going up again, and will it ever end?

“Divorce him!” Man refuses to pay for wife’s epidural

Dad’s horror at six-year-old’s massive bill

Why Peter FitzSimons has defended Prince Harry

Brekkies, barbies, mozzies: why do Aussies shorten so many words?

Aussies set for power bill relief just before Christmas

Banksy: who should foot the bill to protect his work in public spaces?

"Is this real?" Family in shock after Kate Winslet pays $30k power bill

13 ways you’re shortening the life of your vacuum cleaner

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