Hi everyone, SwitchOn website has been advertised heavily in the recent months to promote flexible energy pricing for Victorians. Apparently all Victorians now have the option to choose the peak/ shoulder/ off peak rates instead of using single flat rate. To take advantage of the flexible pricing, users need to modify their energy usage behaviour to use more appliances during the shoulder/off-peak time when the rate is cheaper (please refer to the website for the full explanation).
I tried using the website tool to calculate my usage and I don't think I'm much better off using the flexible pricing (even when I try to use appliances during the shoulder/off-peak period) and therefore I decided to maintain single flat rate so I don't have to worry about when I should be using the appliances.
Has anyone used the tool and find that they are better off using the flexible pricing?
I'm keen to hear your feedback :)
My view is it's a nice try, but way too simplistic. It's pretty useless in helping you make a decision. It merely shows a graphical illustration of a "typical" household at normal times of day, for those people that cannot visualise such things. It doesn't take into account your personal situation, appliances and frequency of use etc. or allow you to enter them. Unsurprisingly, it shows a relatively flat line overnight from midnight, a slight spike at 7am as you get ready for work and make breakfast, reasonably flat while you are at work, then a spike after you get home and make dinner, use the computer, watch TV etc. and if you have solar panels, there is the expected dip in the curve either side of midday. And it's not rocket science to imagine the effect of using the washing machine/dryer/dishwasher daily and the effect it has on usage. (Not everyone does daily laundry by the way!) Yet those are the only options you can customize. So in an attempt to make you see the benefit of switching "discretionary use" to after-hours, the peak part of the graph drops off and the off-peak rises. I tried it but it didn't assist me in making a decision or help me work out the best time to use my appliances.
I should say I am already on time-of-use due to my circumstances. I have solar panels as well. I tend to be up late into the early hours, and sleep during the morning if not most of the day. So off-peak use is beneficial to me. But for "typical" users, you will find it makes negligible difference. For example, off peak is 13c per kWh and peak is 26c. The single tariff is about half-way between, about 20c. I did the sums for a few friends and found the typical difference would be less than a few dollars a quarter (on a $400 bill), really not worth the bother. If you were to change, it makes the assumption that you would have to do washing etc. after midnight to save those couple of dollars.
What I found was more beneficial was to access my smart meter via the online portal and download ALL the meter readings in 30 minute intervals since it was installed. I then graphed the data in Excel and I could see all the usage over the course of the day. This gave me a better understanding of my typical use during the day, what times I used the most power, and can make a better decision about what type of tariff suits me best. I already make a habit of loading the dishwasher, but not turn it on until after midnight. I only do laundry on the weekend when it is offpeak all day. I tend to vacuum the house around midday if possible when I have an excess in solar panel generation. My excess would otherwise go to "waste". Unfortunately I only get 8c per kWh that I export which is 2-3 times less than I can buy it for, so it makes sense to use it myself. Most of my solar usually goes to offset the house "heartbeat". I dislike the "phantom power" model they use to describe appliances left plugged in to encourage you to turn off devices at the wall. I like my alarm clock plugged in 24/7, as well as my TiVo, CCTV cameras, fridge etc. Be aware that some devices need 24/7 power and you can't turn everything off, and you need to accept that there will be a floating level of use across the whole day, or house "heartbeat".
I can try uploading an example of my Excel graph showing the last two months use if anyone thinks it might be helpful.http://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/41411/18835/smartmeterd… You can see how I analyzed my smart meter data and made conclusions based on my personal circumstances and actual use, not some "typical" situation.I hope that helps!