Save on Energy Now!
Home energy tips: Become more efficient, reduce your bills and save
It’s official - federal government energy rebates are being phased out in 2026. There are ways everyone can become more energy efficient, reducing your use and energy bills. Are you renting or do you own your home? Either way, there are simple steps you can take right now to cut your power bills.
Free Gympie Library session
GADSA is running a free “Save on Energy” pop up at Gympie Library on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Drop in to the library meeting room 10 - 11 am with your electricity bills and energy questions and our volunteers can help you spot easy ways to save money and energy.
Try the EnergyFlex app
The free EnergyFlex (www.energyflex.com.au) app can read your smart meter data and compare different electricity plans. If there is a cheaper energy plan, it will find it. It also shows when power is cheapest during the day, so you can shift things like clothes and dish washing to lower cost times. This app has helped renters and homeowners with and without solar save $400 to $1500 a year. To check if you have a smart meter, look in the power box. The meter is ‘smart” if there is not a rotating disk. A meter upgrade may be free, but the home owner is responsible for approving this upgrade.
Simple low-cost changes
Both renters and home owners can save by:
• turning off appliances at the wall when not in use
• setting aircons to about 27 to 28 for cooling and 18 to 20 for heating
• running hot water, washing machines and dishwashers in off peak times if you have time of use tariffs
• installing plug timers to switch appliances on when you cannot be home to do the above when energy cost is low
• sealing off unused areas when heating or cooling the house – consider floor seals and ensure all doors and windows are closed
• asking your landlord to install a smart meter to take advantage of cheaper or even free daytime energy – great for those who work from home or anyone with time of use controllers on their appliances. If you have a smart meter you can get free energy now with retailers such as Ovo Energy offering free power 11 am – 3pm.
Solar and batteries
If you have solar, a battery can store excess power so you use more of your own cheap electricity. To get subsidies, your solar system needs to be at least 5 kW capacity. A battery set up requires sufficient space and proximity to switchboards and inverters etc. It will store surplus solar generation and use this during the evening to reduce bills and it may export to grid during the peak period to generate revenue. Check out the following assistance packages for solar and batteries:
• Cheaper home battery plan,
https://www.dcceew.gov.au/energy/programs/cheaper-home-batteries
• Supercharged Solar for Renters:
https://www.treasury.qld.gov.au/policies-and-programs/energy/supercharged-solar-for-renters/
These will provide subsidised systems to home owners or landlords.
If you are unable to make it to the library, why not join a “Know your Power” free webinar at Empowering Renters (
https://www.empoweringrenters.org.au/?s=Know+your+power) or borrow the home energy assessment kit from the Gympie Library. Need help immediately? Then download the energy flex app and save on your energy bills or if you don’t have a smart meter go to Energy Made Easy to compare your current retail offer with other offers from various retailers.
If you need help or have questions, contact GADSA via email:
aW5mbyB8IGdhZHNhICEgbmV0 .
Marg Gillett,
Murray Keys
Also check out other Workshops in Gympie, Meetups in Gympie, Virtual events in Gympie.
