Australians are doing these things to save on rising energy bills

From working in the office to switching light bulbs, Australians are taking unique measures to cut down their power bills.

From 1 July, electricity bills in parts of Australia were expected to rise almost 25 per cent under new prices set by the country's energy regulator. Source: AAP / DAVID MARIUZ/AAPIMAGE

Key Points

• Energy prices have risen by almost 25 per cent following recent regulatory changes.
• Most Australians say they'll try to cut down their costs in winter.
• Research shows South Australians are among the worst-hit by recent price hikes.

Most Australians surveyed in a new report say they plan to save money on rising energy bills by switching off lights and power points when not in use.

Almost 80 per cent of the 1,090 people surveyed by comparison site Finder say they planned to reduce their electricity usage in the winter months, as higher power costs start to bite.

Australians have been hit with almost 25 per cent higher power prices under a new ceiling electricity price set by the energy regulator.

Most Australians surveyed by comparison site Finder plan to save money on rising energy bills by switching off lights and power points when not in use. Cutting down on heater/air conditioner use was the second-highest course of action. Source: SBS News

People are ditching work from home

More than half - about 56 per cent - of those surveyed say they’ll switch off lights and power points when not in use to reduce their bills.

Others say they will cut down on their usage of heaters or air conditioners, while almost one in ten say they’ll stop working from home and head to the office to cut down costs.

Switching energy providers or changing to energy saving light bulbs, were also on the cards, while some were considering installing solar panels.

More than 20 per cent had no plans to change their habits.

The worst-hit state from power cost hikes

Finder said South Australians were among the worst-affected by the energy price rises based on research it conducted into various electricity plans.

It compared annual price estimates for electricity plans between 30 June 2023 and 17 July 2023 for a two to three person household, using the same postcode per provider for every state.

For South Australia, it found annual estimates for residential households jumped between 22-63 per cent. Finder said for some residents, that was $800 more a year, after the recent price rises.

In Victoria, prices rose by 22 to 31 per cent.

NSW residents saw an increase of 15-36 per cent, while in Queensland it was 8-41 per cent higher.