Yahoo Finance Aussie dad got his energy bill down to $10 a month: ‘Definitely worth it’
Switching to solar energy is saving this Aussie family $1,000 a quarter.
New South Wales dad-of-three Maurico has been able to save his family around $1,000 per quarter and has actually made money from his electricity bill after switching to solar.
The Northern Beaches resident told Yahoo Finance that, after making the initial investment to get solar installed, he has actually made money back selling his excess energy to the grid.
“It was around $9,000 to $10,000 out of pocket, including the government subsidy. We have a 12-kilowatt-size system. It has definitely been worth it,” he said.
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Mauricio said the family decided to switch to solar after their energy use grew, thanks to some other lifestyle changes.
“Our energy usage increased because we put in a swimming pool with a heater and bought an electric car,” he said.
“The second reason is it's great to be able to switch to renewable energy and be part of a green solution for our energy consumption.”
Not just saving money, but making it
Mauricio said the decision to make the switch had changed their lives, with far less pressure on the family budget.
“It's been far better than expected. I was hoping to more or less reduce the bills, which we have - from about $1,000 per quarter,” he said.
“We've been in credit with our bill about $40 to $50 per month until now with the cooler weather. We paid $10 last month. My wife drives the electric car from the Northern Beaches to Alexandria everyday for free. It's been great.”
Before taking the plunge, shop around
While making the switch has been fantastic for Mauricio, he said it was important to do your research and be proactive in managing your new system.
“I'd just say it requires active management to get these numbers and savings with solar, I enjoy looking at the data, and Solar Analytics has been great at monitoring that for me. I'm constantly checking the production and unplugging the car if it's a cloudy day,” he said.
“It's important for people to take the time to do their research and get at least three quotes before installing solar.
“Try to understand the quotes and spot the differences. I learnt a lot by comparing quotes. Initially, I got five quotes from reputable businesses. Try to go for local installers with a lot of good Google reviews.”
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