Hey folks. Regulars who know about me, know I don't post hype,...

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    Hey folks.

    Regulars who know about me, know I don't post hype, and generally avoid being overly dramatic. So, wanted to share something that is quite disturbing and will impact on most/all of on this forum.

    I've been tracking electricity pricing in NSW for a number of years now, and about 5 years ago was involved in a company that offered a novel (and well structured) Power Purchasing Agreement to consumers (you can research what a PPA is, when you have time). Suffice to say, a solar install with locked in rates was a very effective way to decrease your power bill back then and is looking VERY attractive now.

    Why?

    Well, rates are about to go through the roof. See this article. It's something that's been in the pipeline for a while, and the flow-on effect will be quite disastrous for the average consumer. I just spoke to an honest - believe it or not - rep from Energy Australia, and he said, timidly, that rates may go up after July 1 "... they are saying.. perhaps even by up to 50%"...

    WHAT. THE. HECK.

    Look, it might only go up 5%, but the fact of the matter is, the big money who have bought the networks are looking for a return, and we're going to end up paying a LOT for it. And it appears sooner, rather than later. I can go into more detail if people like, and don't want to hijack the thread, however I would urge you to consider doing the following:

    a) Install a solar array through a PPA with a provider (I won't name any, but this locks you into a very low $/kWh over a long period of time, for $0 down)
    b) Stump up the cash and install your own system to enjoy more of a saving straight away
    c) If you have extra money, strap on a battery solution

    My back-of-the-envelope on a standard install, supplying around 20-25% of your baseload, will have ROI in about 5 years; and if rates go up as much as they say, it will be even quicker. Gone are the '15-30 year' ROI timeframes - The hardware is a LOT cheaper nowadays.

    Thanks for reading. Perhaps we can have some further Q&A on the weekend thread and get input from the other skilled people who frequent here.  Just wanted to bring this to your attention as I care about this community.

    /End Public Service Announcement
 
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