Power prices in NSW are going up, there is no doubt about that. By installing a solar power system, you can reduce your electricity bill or even eliminate your energy bills entirely, giving you huge savings on skyrocketing power bills.

The Current Power Price Scenario in NSW

Increasing power bills— are the biggest concern and a matter of worry in many households. As per early reports, it was expected that the power price in NSW would rise by up to 130 per cent.

As the coal and gas prices are shooting up, energy retailers in NSW have already started alerting homeowners to expect a double-digit power price rise. The biggest energy retailers, including Origin, Energy Australia, and AGL, are yet to make their power price announcements. However, the price hike is expected to be around a 15 percent increase. A 15 percent increase would be around a $200 increase for an average family.

Currently, as per the reports from the Australian Energy Regulator, households in NSW are expected to see an increase in power price between 8.5 percent to 18.3 percent. And in the worst-case scenario, even higher than the inflation rate. This increase is coming soon into effect from July, which would cost around an increase of more than $250 for an average family. Undoubtedly this is bad news for many households. Therefore, the best way to help keep the soaring power bills under control is by going solar.

Reduce Power Bills By Installing Solar Power System

Solar energy is a freely available clean energy source that requires a one-time investment to help you save a significant amount down the lane. It helps you reduce the power bill by around $400 per kW of solar a year. So, if you have a 5kW system, you will make an annual power saving of around $2,000 to $2,500 a year.

A good solar power system would last around 25 to 30 years, making it worth it for homeowners. Moreover, investing in a solar power system is totally worth it in NSW as it receives a good amount of sunlight throughout the year.

A solar energy system will produce electricity during the daylight hours, where the excess energy generated will be fed back to the grid. If your energy usage is more during the daytime, installing a solar panel system could reduce your power bill on a considerable scale. The size of the solar energy system that you install also plays a crucial role in your savings. Typically, a 5kW system is sufficient for an average family in NSW to cover most power usage.

If you want to save more and reduce your grid dependency, installing a solar battery system would be greatly helpful. A solar battery lets you store the excess energy generated during the day for later use. It reduces your grid dependency and serves as a reliable backup power source during power outages and night-time usage.

Incentives and Rebates in NSW for Solar Installation

A good solar system of course requires an upfront investment. However, if you don’t have the budget, there are solar rebates and incentives to help you install one. There are both federal and state government rebates.

The NSW government helps homeowners to get access to solar energy through three programs:

  • Empowering Homes Program Solar Rebate
  • Low-Income Households Solar Rebate
  • Solar Feed-in Tariff

Need more information on solar power installation in NSW? Contact our team at Bila Energy to assist you.

The Empowering Homes Solar Battery Program is a highly beneficial interest-free loan program for homeowners in NSW looking forward to installing solar battery power system in their homes. If you are living in NSW, you could also benefit from this program. So, let’s get into the details quickly.

What Is It?

The Empowering Homes Solar Battery Program is an NSW Government-backed interest-free loan program to help homeowners save more on their power bills and become more energy self-sufficient. If you don’t have a solar power and battery system in your house yet, this program is the easiest and most affordable way to get one. You can also add a solar battery system to your existing solar PV through the Empowering Homes program.

The program offers two interest-free loan options to install solar battery systems:

  1. It provides a loan of up to $14,000 for a solar PV and solar battery system, which is repayable over a range of terms up to 8 years. This is a great option to take your first step towards renewable energy and power savings.
  2. It offers a loan of up to $9,000 for retrofitting a solar battery system to an existing solar power system, which is repayable over a range of terms of up to 10 years. This is an excellent option for homeowners who already own a solar energy system and would like to switch to a solar battery system for effective power savings.

Should You Go for the Plan?

You should consider going for the Empowering Homes Program for three major reasons. To begin with, through this program, the NSW Government offers you a chance to get access to clean energy. Solar energy is a big investment, but this program makes it more affordable.

The second reason is it helps you make significant savings on your power bills. Solar panel and solar battery installation reduces your dependency on the grid, thus reducing power bills and making your energy self-sufficient. In general, the more your electricity usage, the more the savings. So, the savings you get depends on your power usage requirements. Finally, there is no better time to start creating a positive impact on the environment than now. As solar panels and solar battery systems do not emit greenhouse gas or pollute the environment, they help reduce your carbon footprint.

You are more likely to benefit from the Empowering Homes Program if:

  • You have higher electricity usage, typically more than 6,000 kWh a year.
  • Consume most of the electricity during the daytime, the mornings, and evenings.
  • You are on a Time Of Use (TOU) tariff plan or plan to switch to one sooner.
  • You have other energy-saving measures already implemented.

Eligibility

You may be eligible if you qualify for the below conditions:

  • You must live in any of the approved postcodes.
  • Your household income per annum must not be more than $180,000.
  • You must be the owner of your grid-connected home— you must live in it and have the authority to install the solar battery system.
  • Must satisfy the loan criteria.

You can also apply for the program if you already have a solar power system and want to upgrade with a solar battery. Also, note that the program is only available for houses connected to the power grid system (unavailable for off-grid systems).

Our team at Bila Energy will provide you a no-obligation quote on your solar system in Port Macquarie, Newcastle, and Coffs Harbour areas in NSW. We will customise a premium solar energy system that works the best for your power requirements.

Reach out to us for more information.