Description:
Alinta are currently offering the following discounts in VIC through Compare & Connect:
43% - Pay on time discount off electricity usage charge
25% - Pay on time discount off gas usage charge
24 month benefit term – NO Early termination fees
Compare & Connect are a Energy comparison provider, based in VIC
To compare energy plans, visit the website here
afaik, it means the discount you get is good for 24 months but they still can increase electricity prices up. Basically these so called "discount" offered by them is useless as they can increase prices and as incentives and then make you think you actually save by offering "discounts".
Need to shop around the actual price not who offers the largest discount.
After the 24 months you pay full price. Common trap electricity companies use for the lazy.
This reminds me of the old crappy telephone plans…
Over $500 in calls on every $20 recharge!!.
Yes their prices are more than 43 % higher than others. Trap also if you miss paying on time.
Service charges can be more than usage. Unless you're high energy user, this may not be the best deal. As per usual, do some math before deciding.
This is the Victorian government energy comparer without commercial/affiliate kickbacks:
Yep I did and would use that site
If I sell 1 kwH of electricity at $10 and give a 20% discount, it's $8
Then I mark up 1 kwH to $20 and give a 50% discount, it's $10
Consumers think we are still in the age of a standard rate card for all,
so the higher discount means a better deal.
The government (sadly) has de-regulated this to be a free-for-all market.
The real ones losing out are the elderly and those who don't understand this
mechanism (could be because of language even).
Then comes the 12-month, 24-month contracts. Again, this is pretty insignificant
as they vary the rate card - some annually, some semi-annual.
The other thing that some companies are doing is that they vary the price of
kwH by the day.
First 500 kwH is $X, then next 500 kwH is $y.
Another company might give first 2500 kwH is $A.
It's getting so bloody complicated and those "comparetherates" type of companies
are not helping either because they only compare a few companies. Usually not
benefiting the consumer.
Another organisation called themselves "gang up and bulk buy". I signed up the
first time, then they sneaked up their rate card and I was in 12 month contract.
Their accounting was horrendous and confusing.
Now some are giving a sign-on bonus of Gift Card of $50 or $100.
Soon you will have to sell a kidney to know how much you would pay each quarter.
We need the government to regulate the rate card (by postcode at least).
Totally agreed. You probably need a PHD to figure all that out.
My fav was Click who gave a ~30% off discount. But what they didn't say is that the discount isn't applied to the current bill, it's credited to your next bill. Also the discount wasn't calculated on the usage & connection charge as a whole, no it was calculated on the
(usage + connection) - solar FIT - previous bill discoint credit. So a $100 usage & comnection charge, became $50 aftwr FIT & Credit, the the 30% was calculated on $50 (ie $15), you had the pay the $50 & the $15 went as credit on tour next bill.
So my 30% discount actually became 15%.
Very clever accounting isn't it? I got sucked in by that too
Don't forget that also jacked the rates after the promotion. By the time you realized it was 3 months later
Pointless deal with no rates presumably for idiots.
Very very high supply charge which is not discounted by 43%. Adds up to an extra $20 a month over my existing provider who discounts both the usage and supply charge.
Agree, their supply rates are steep.. at least compared to the typical rates I have seen here in NSW at around .92-.93
Over a quarter, that could equate to nearly an additional $25 on the electricity side
Meh, Pacific Hydro are still cheaper and no discount trickey, just cheaper rates, cheaper connection charge.
Yep, they look like the best deal for my area too.
Check out their January rates though. Ouch.
Can't wait to see how bad other providers will be though!
Yeah it'll be interesting as I was told (verbally) that the rate was fixed for two years.
Note: Vic rates increase 01-Jan-2018. Comparing prices will be very difficult until switchon is updated with all providers new rates.
The thing I never understand is
Then 6 months down the track, they change the price up