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5 tips for getting off gas at home – for a cleaner, cheaper, healthier all-electric future

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/trivess-moore-12580">Trivess Moore</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alan-pears-52">Alan Pears</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nicola-willand-441807">Nicola Willand</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> Burning gas in our homes to cook food or heat air and water has become a contentious issue. Gas is an expensive, polluting fossil fuel, and there’s mounting evidence to suggest it’s also <a href="https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2022/december/health-risks-from-indoor-gas-appliances">bad for our health</a>. Five million existing Australian households will need to <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/getting-off-gas/">get off gas</a> within the next 30 years. But for homeowners, the upfront cost can be a major barrier to action. Renters rarely get a say over the appliances installed in their homes. And apartment owners can struggle to make individual changes too. In most cases it’s worth making the switch, for the energy bill savings alone. For example, analysis suggests a household in Melbourne switching from gas to electricity can save <a href="https://theconversation.com/all-electric-homes-are-better-for-your-hip-pocket-and-the-planet-heres-how-governments-can-help-us-get-off-gas-207409">up to A$13,900</a> over a decade. If you’re contemplating upgrading gas appliances in your home, or even disconnecting from the gas network altogether, here are a few handy tips and resources to cut through the confusion. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2JuZgXz6zNo?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Homes must switch away from gas by 2050, says policy think tank (ABC News)</figcaption></figure> <h2>Tip 1 – Find trusted, independent information</h2> There is no shortage of information on how to make the switch from gas to all-electric appliances. The challenge is finding <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-a-lemon-law-to-make-all-the-homes-we-buy-and-rent-more-energy-efficient-204369">trusted and independent information</a>. Not-for-profit organisation <a href="https://renew.org.au/">Renew</a> has compiled a range of <a href="https://renew.org.au/resources/how-we-can-help/efficient-electric-homes/how-we-can-help-going-off-gas/">presentations, guides, case studies and research</a>. <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/">Choice</a> provides independent reviews of household appliances, including operating costs. The Australian government’s <a href="https://www.energyrating.gov.au/">Energy Rating website</a> provides information on appliances to help consumers compare performance. Some <a href="https://www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/services/take-climate-action">local councils</a> and <a href="https://totallyrenewableyack.org.au/">community groups</a> also provide information, support and bulk-buying schemes. You could also visit some of the all-electric homes open to the public for <a href="https://sustainablehouseday.com/">Sustainable House Day</a>. This can help you learn what works from people who have already made the change. The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MyEfficientElectricHome">My Efficient Electric Home</a> group on Facebook is another active and helpful forum. If you are going all-electric as part of a wider retrofit, consider an independent <a href="https://www.homescorecard.gov.au/">Residential Efficiency Scorecard assessment</a>. This will help you understand what to else you can do to maximise <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-other-99-retrofitting-is-the-key-to-putting-more-australians-into-eco-homes-91231">thermal comfort, environmental benefits and financial outcomes</a>. <h2>Tip 2 – Plan your approach</h2> Once you understand what to do, the next step is planning how to go about it. Think about what is most important to your household. What is driving the change? If it’s your health, you might like to start by eliminating indoor air pollution from the gas stove. Or if you want to save money, start using reverse-cycle air conditioning to heat your home, rather than gas. There are three main ways to go all-electric: <ul> <li> Replace all your gas appliances at once. Making the change quickly minimises disruption to your home. You may save money on installation costs by doing everything in one go. You will avoid ongoing fixed gas supply charges once you disconnect from the gas network, but you may be required to pay an “<a href="https://energy.act.gov.au/switching-off-your-gas-connection/">abolishment fee</a>” for permanent disconnection. That fee can vary significantly, depending on your location and gas provider. Costs <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/environment/sustainability/would-you-pay-1000-to-get-off-gas-consumer-dismay-over-disconnection-cost-20230223-p5cmw9.html">could be up to $1000 (or more)</a> but some states like Victoria have capped the price a <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/fossil-gas-death-spiral-regulator-sets-exit-fee-to-socialise-cost-of-mass-disconnection/">household can be charged at $220</a>. Renters wouldn’t be able to permanently disconnect without permission from the landlord, so they would still be open to paying the daily connection fee even if they found alternative electric options for everything else. </li> <li> Replace your gas appliances one at a time, as finances allow. However, there will come a point where <a href="http://www.ata.org.au/wp-content/projects/CAP_Gas_Research_Final_Report_251114_v2.0.pdf">financially you will be better off</a> replacing all the remaining gas appliances. This is largely because it will not be affordable to keep paying the daily connection cost for gas if you just have one gas appliance remaining. </li> <li> Just stop using gas appliances in favour of existing electric appliances that do the same job, such as a <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/the-traps-laid-by-the-fossil-gas-industry-for-uninformed-households/">reverse cycle air conditioner for space heating</a>. You may have – or can buy – plug-in electric alternatives, such as a microwave ovens, portable induction cooktops, air fryers and heaters. These can be a good option for renters when landlords won’t make changes. </li> </ul> You could even borrow portable appliances to see how they work before committing to buying your own. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tLjWZicC4mE?wmode=transparent&start=2" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Households share their electrification journey (Renew)</figcaption></figure> <h2>Tip 3 – Access available rebates and resources</h2> Most states offer various rebates for households to reduce the upfront cost of replacing gas appliances. These could reduce costs by thousands of dollars. Some rebates also target rental housing. Here is a list of key rebates available in different states: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.epw.qld.gov.au/about/initiatives/household-energy-savings-program">Queensland</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/rebates-grants-and-schemes">New South Wales</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.climatechoices.act.gov.au/policy-programs/home-energy-support-rebates-for-homeowners">ACT</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/for-households/victorian-energy-upgrades-for-households">Victoria</a></li> <li><a href="https://recfit.tas.gov.au/household_energy/energy_saver_loan_scheme">Tasmania</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/energy-and-environment/using-saving-energy/retailer-energy-productivity-scheme">South Australia</a></li> </ul> Some not-for-profit organisations (such as the <a href="https://www.bsl.org.au/services/energy-assistance/">Brotherhood of St Laurence</a>) offer financial and other support for lower-income households struggling to pay their energy bills. <h2>Tip 4 – Wait for a sale or negotiate a better deal</h2> It might sound simple but you can always save money by waiting until these electric appliances are on sale. If you are buying multiple appliances you can try to negotiate a better price. Factory seconds outlets offer lower prices as well. <h2>Tip 5 – Know the issues</h2> While the shift to all-electric will likely provide many benefits there are some things you need to consider: <ul> <li>The carbon emissions from electricity are falling fast, and many homes have rooftop solar. Combining <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/getting-off-gas/">all-electric with solar panels</a> will maximise returns.</li> <li>You may have to adjust to how new technologies operate and perform. For example, you may need <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/goodfood/tips-and-advice/do-you-really-have-to-buy-new-cookware-all-your-burning-questions-about-induction-cooking-answered-20230810-p5dvd0.html">new, metallic cookware for an induction cooktop</a> and become familiar with their fast response. Additionally, some people find heat from reverse cycle air conditioners to be drier and/or draughtier than gas heating. Floor-mounted units heat more effectively.</li> <li>It is not just the energy performance of appliances that matters. For example, noise from heat pump hot water services can vary across different brands. They can also require more space for installation.</li> <li>Undertaking a wider energy retrofit (for example, increasing insulation in walls, ceiling and underfloor, upgrading windows to double glazing) may mean you can buy a smaller, cheaper reverse cycle air conditioner when replacing gas heating.</li> <li>Electric appliances also need maintenance to make sure they perform optimally. For example, reverse cycle air conditioners have filters that must be regularly cleaned. While this can be done by households, it can be hard for people with mobility issues.</li> <li>Depending on the capacity of your electricity switchboard or wiring, extra electric appliances may require upgrades.</li> <li>For renters, while you could use portable appliances, you may not be able to disconnect from gas completely, meaning you would still have to pay a daily connection fee.</li> <li>Gas and electricity prices can change over time, for many reasons. For example, if fixed gas distribution costs are spread over fewer customers.</li> </ul> <h2>A worthwhile investment</h2> Australian states and territories have started banning gas in new builds. Victoria and the ACT will soon require <a href="https://theconversation.com/cooking-and-heating-without-gas-what-are-the-impacts-of-shifting-to-all-electric-homes-210649">new housing and major renovations to be all-electric</a>. Others are likely to follow. For people in existing housing around Australia, it can be daunting to make the switch. Many of us have grown up with gas in our homes and when one appliance breaks, the easiest thing to do is replace like-for-like. But the weight of evidence shows it’s worth taking the time to look at the alteratives and invest in upgrading to all-electric appliances. The benefits far outweigh the costs. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211261/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/trivess-moore-12580">Trivess Moore</a>, Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alan-pears-52">Alan Pears</a>, Senior Industry Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nicola-willand-441807">Nicola Willand</a>, Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-tips-for-getting-off-gas-at-home-for-a-cleaner-cheaper-healthier-all-electric-future-211261">original article</a>.

Home & Garden

Coronation Quiche anyone? You’ll need to fork out A$38. Here are cheaper and healthier options

If you are a monarchist, or just enjoy the tradition of the royal family, you may have heard about the Coronation Quiche – made with spinach, broad beans and tarragon. The idea is for us to make it and share it with friends and family during the coronation celebrations in May. King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla have just shared a <a href="https://www.royal.uk/coronation-quiche-0">recipe</a>. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Introducing… Coronation Quiche! Chosen personally by Their Majesties, The King and The Queen Consort have shared a recipe in celebration of the upcoming <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CoronationBigLunch?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CoronationBigLunch</a> taking place up and down the country. <a href="https://t.co/aVcw9tNarP">pic.twitter.com/aVcw9tNarP</a> — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1647917367798939648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote> As dietitians, we’re interested in the quiche’s nutritional value. So we analysed its contents and found that although it’s quite a healthy dish, we could make a healthier version. Spoiler alert: the original recipe contains lard (pork fat). We’ve also found we could make the quiche using cheaper or more easily available ingredients. <h2>What exactly is a quiche?</h2> Today, most people consider quiche a French dish that’s essentially a savoury pie. It typically consists of a pastry crust filled with a mixture of eggs, cream and cheese, plus various other ingredients such as veggies, meat and herbs. Quiche can be served hot or cold. You can have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner with salad or veggies. <h2>How much does it cost?</h2> Quiches are usually quite economical to make. Most of the basic ingredients are cheap, and you can adapt the fillings depending on what’s in the fridge or left over from recent meals. Let’s see if this applies to the Coronation Quiche. We split the costs into typical quantities you can buy at the shops (for instance, six eggs) and the costs to make the quiche (which only needs two eggs). If you make the quiche from scratch and have to buy the ingredients in quantities sold in the shops, this will cost you almost A$38. Although this may seem a lot, you’ll have some ingredients left over for another meal. So how much do the ingredients cost for one quiche? We worked it out at $12 for the entire quiche, or $2 a serve. Quite reasonable! <h2>Can you make it even cheaper?</h2> Busy lives and the rising cost of living are front of mind right now. So here are a few things you can do to save time and money when making a Coronation Quiche: <ul> <li> buy pre-made pastry. Keep any sheets you don’t use for the quiche in the freezer </li> <li> use <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-home-brand-foods-healthy-if-you-read-the-label-you-may-be-pleasantly-surprised-189445">home-brand products</a> where possible </li> <li> consider vegetable shortening as it is a little cheaper than lard </li> <li> buy vegetables in season and from a farmers’ market </li> <li> can’t find tarragon? Try seasonal and cheap herbs such as parsley, basil or rosemary </li> <li> can’t find broad beans? Try cheaper pulses such as edamame or cannellini beans. </li> </ul> <h2>How nutritious is the Coronation Quiche?</h2> We also looked at the Coronation Quiche’s nutritional profile. We expressed quantities for the whole quiche, and per serve. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2023/04/quiche-nutrient.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> <h2>The healthy … and the not so healthy</h2> This quiche has high amounts of healthy protein and fibre that come from the broad beans and eggs. One serving of this quiche gives you about 18-25% of your daily protein and about 10% of your daily fibre requirements, which is great. But the quiche has high levels of saturated fat, mostly from its high amounts of lard, butter and cream. Saturated fat has been linked to an increased risk of <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD011737.pub3/full">cardiovascular events</a>, such as heart attacks and stroke, because it raises levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad kind of cholesterol). This LDL cholesterol can build up in the walls of arteries and form plaques, leading to arteries hardening over time and increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. So, high amounts of saturated fats is something we want to avoid eating too much of, especially if we have cardiovascular disease. It’s also something we want to avoid if we’re trying to lose weight. For an average Aussie consuming roughly 9,000 kilojoules per day, the recommended maximum intake of saturated fat is about 24 grams. Just one serve of this quiche has about 17g of saturated fat, which means there’s not much wriggle room for other foods after you have a slice. You may be better off trying <a href="https://nomoneynotime.com.au/healthy-easy-recipes/clares-rolled-oats-quiche">this quiche</a> instead, as it has half the amount of saturated fat as the Coronation Quiche. You could even try a <a href="https://www.wellplated.com/crustless-quiche/">crustless quiche</a>. <h2>4 ways to make a healthier quiche</h2> Here are a few swaps to help make this recipe healthier: 1. Use low-fat options. If you’re watching your weight and looking to reduce the kilojoules of the quiche, swap the full-fat cheddar cheese, milk and double cream to low-fat products. This will reduce the total fat content per serve from 29.6g to 15g and save 112.2 kilojoules per serve 2. Ditch the lard. Swap the lard for butter to save 15g of total fat per serve. This may change the texture of the quiche slightly but it will reduce the kilojoules 3. Use feta. Swap the cheddar cheese for feta cheese, which has fewer kilojoules per gram 4. Add extra veggies. This increases the fibre content of the quiche and adds loads of extra nutrients. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronation-quiche-anyone-youll-need-to-fork-out-a-38-here-are-cheaper-and-healthier-options-204100" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Food & Wine

"That's insane": Vintage Woolies receipt shines a light on cheaper days

One mum has gotten more than she bargained for while cleaning out her wardrobe, stumbling across an old Woolworths receipt from 2011. While the item itself wasn’t so exciting - and most would immediately toss it away upon discovery - she looked a little further, and one thing stood out to her: the prices. “I'm currently going through my wardrobe and I found this receipt in a coat pocket," Tegan explained in a video posted to her TikTok, where she displays the receipt for everyone’s inspection. “It's from 2011, very vintage, and I was a new mum." Her purchases can be seen in the clip, highlighting the size and prices of the various items she picked up that year - the likes of baby formula, spinach, chocolate, capsicum, avocado, and lamb cutlets, totalling the sum of just $49.59. As she noted, the price of meat was her main point of interest, as it was “so cheap” at just $13.50 in 2011. Meanwhile, in 2023, anything under $20 is considered something of a bargain. However, for those in the comments, the chocolate was the true upset. And as many pointed out, it hadn’t just gotten more expensive, it had also gotten a lot smaller. “Lol that Cadbury is now 180g and $5.50,” one wrote. “That’s what I looked up,” Tegan agreed. “Less for more”. “Block of dairy milk was 200g too,” another chimed in to add, “now it's 180g”. And another simply declared, “omg that's insaaane how much the price has changed!!” For those whose priority is the baby formula, it was painful, with one pointing out that their brand had almost doubled in price - it had been $23.99 for Tegan back then, and marketed at $40 in present times. “A weekly essential for some parents,” Tegan noted, “would blow out my budget these days.” “My baby drinks the same formula it costs me $36,” another shared. “Gosh I feel for you,” Tegan said in response, before adding, “we went through so many tins.” One had a suggestion to properly compare the prices over the years, telling Tegan she should “buy it all again and put the two together.” Tegan, however, already had a suspicion, responding that “it’d probably be over $100”. <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 620.262px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7222124774753914113&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40iknowtegan%2Fvideo%2F7222124774753914113&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2Fo8NV61AAAAAhBcwAO5z9oyIDHEzIgJIMRfJCsZ%3Fx-expires%3D1681808400%26x-signature%3DLWrE8R7Hek5U6KPv29JqPD2%252FH7c%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> Images: TikTok

Money & Banking

Groceries option even cheaper than ALDI

With the cost of living crisis many Aussies are struggling to put dinner on the table, so they’re turning away from big chains like IGA and Coles and heading over to supersize store Costco. Originally an American chain, there are only 15 Costcos across the country, but with inflation rising to seven per cent and interest rates sitting above six per cent, Aussies are rethinking where and how they shop. Costco is being boasted as a lifesaver and worth the drive if you don’t live near one of the stores. Many Aussie parents have turned to Costco to help their families through the tough times, but it’s not your ordinary grocery store. Costco required you pay a $60 annual membership fee to shop there. The fee entitles members to exclusive access to its petrol stations as well. Although an upfront fee may leave shoppers hesitant, plenty of Aussies have shared online that it’s worth the money. Costco differs from other grocery stores because it’s a wholesaler, so you can only buy things in bulk. The idea is that shoppers spend more to begin with, but it ends up costing them less in the long run. It’s very much suited to large households. An Aussie mum posted on Facebook to share that popping her “Costco cherry”, saved her over $500. “I did a bit of maths, if I did the same shop at Woolies/Coles, I would have spent $1160. If I shopped at Aldi, I would have spent $985. If you can afford to buy in bulk, I highly recommend it will save you in the long run,” she wrote on Facebook. She shared exactly what she bought to have that much cash left over, and believes she managed to buy enough snacks to last an entire school term. “School lunch snacks x3 kids, will last the whole of next term (I do a three snack rule and put them in a zip lock bag, to grab and go, chips – vege chips, smith’s or jumpys, tiny teddy’s or panda Bickies and some muesli bar/fruit stick) then I just have to add a sandwich, fruit and popper.” The mum also bought some everyday items like, “Toilet paper, poppers and water,” and stocked up on meat to last a good while. “Mince, pork, beef, all divided up into 1kg lots and frozen,” she explained. She also stocked up on hand wash, cheese and fruit and veg, but shared that some of the most significant savings came from buying pantry basics. “Spices and sauces, Big savings here if you use a lot, like I do, as I cook most things from scratch,” she said. She added she thinks the membership is worth it if shoppers are savvy in their approach. “Everyone says the $60 membership isn’t worth it; well, if you shop smart, it’s well worth it; I’m going to aim to go 4 times a year,” she shared. She’s no outlier when it comes to Aussie mum’s shopping at Costco. One mum shared that with three kids in high school, the savings are worth it. “The snacks are so much cheaper than at supermarkets,” she revealed, adding that she heads over to Costo every few months to stock up. “I spend a few hundred every two or three months, and it saves me on buying expensive snacks every week.” Another mum chimed in, agreeing that it was a lifesaver for snacks and cheap meat options. “It is good for meat products and lunch box items,” the woman said. Another shared that it is worth the investment, particularly to find affordable options for school lunches. “If you have kids at school! 100 per cent I recommend it. I got a month’s worth of school stuff for what I was spending a fortnight,” she shared. While another revealed that Costo has helped keep her budget down during these tough times. “Costco saves us so much money on school snacks and meat alone!” Plenty of shoppers have been referred to ALDI if their regular shop is proving too costly, but Costco can save you the big bucks. Image credit: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

Private island on sale for a price cheaper than most homes

A private island is up for grabs in Queensland, for a price that is cheaper than an average home in most Australian cities. Poole Island, situated in the Whitsundays, comes with two homes that were built in the 1800s and 1980s, and has an asking price of just under $1 million. This comes after a contract fell through when a would-be buyer couldn’t be contacted, so the 20ha island is back on the market. “I can confirm that we have not been able to contact the purchaser,” Private Islands Online Australia’s Richard Vanhoff told 7NEWS.com.au. “We have tried ourselves, and we are also going on advice from the purchaser’s solicitor, who has also not been able to contact him.” The island is now accepting offers over $995,000. Other features of the island include a handmade rock swimming pool and a 215m runway to cater for small aircraft or a helicopter that flies in from Airlie Beach or Bowen. According to the listing, the pool itself is equipped with a new windmill pump that continuously pumps water into the pool so there’s “no need for chemicals or cleaning as the crystal clear water is in abundance”. The island also has a slipway for any boat owners or those who love to fish, and a stone shed where you can store various machinery including tractors and slashers. Images: Private Islands Online Australia

Real Estate

Cheaper gas and electricity are within our grasp

Virtually every country in the world is facing a crisis in energy costs, yet while other countries can’t do much about it, Australia can. Australia could get its east coast gas producers to supply the domestic gas market for less than A$10 a gigajoule. Earlier this year, prices were more than $40 a gigajoule, and now sit at $25-30 a gigajoule. Tuesday’s budget factored in retail electricity price rises of <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492030/original/file-20221027-18797-tg4woh.JPG">more than 50%</a> over two years. The increases in retail gas prices exceeded 40%. Outlining the budget on Tuesday, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said any responsible government facing these kinds of price hikes needed to “consider a <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/jim-chalmers-2022/transcripts/joint-press-conference-main-committee-room-parliament-house">broader suite of regulatory interventions</a>” than in the past. Chalmers had “more work to do” and would work with the states. Here is the key step I think should be taken. To restrain electricity prices, cut gas prices The quickest way to get electricity prices down is to significantly lower the cost of gas. Gas generators come online after cheaper forms of generation have already been pressed into service, and so help set the final price charged. Getting gas prices below $10 a gigajoule would also help households that are facing crippling gas bills, as well as industries that rely on sensibly priced energy for their existence including Australia’s glass, paper and fertiliser industries. Once those industries close, they are unlikely to return. Here’s what’s been done so far. The Turnbull, Morrison and recently the Albanese governments have each reached agreements with the three liquid natural gas producers operating out of Gladstone in Queensland that together control around 90% of east coast reserves. ‘Sufficient supply’ isn’t affordable supply The agreements require the supply of sufficient gas to meet the needs of east coast gas consumers. For a while they worked to reduce then-high domestic prices to sensible levels, because international prices were low. But now international prices have climbed to multiples of usual levels, agreements to supply without specific reference to prices are no longer enough. An agreement to supply “sufficient” quantities of gas at $25-40 per gigajoule is an agreement to not supply much. After industries close, supply will be “sufficient” for the remaining users who can afford it, but it won’t be what we want. We need to get the east coast liquefied natural gas (LNG) producers to supply sufficient gas to the east coast at prices below $10 a gigajoule. They would continue to make a profit at those prices, albeit much less than otherwise. As it happens, the Commonwealth has the power to get such commitments, because it has the power to stop exports. That power gives it complete leverage. We need to be clear on two points. First, there is no suggestion here that the LNG producers’ long-term contracts are at risk. Asian buyers need not be concerned. All three LNG projects were underwritten by long-term contracts at fixed prices. What we are talking about is the gas the three producers have available beyond their need to service these long contracts. This gas can either be exported to the spot, or short-term, market at very high prices or sold domestically. They should be told they can only export gas to the currently lucrative international spot market if they sell sufficient gas domestically to get prices clearly below $10 a gigajoule. Other exporters reserve gas Second, what I am suggesting is akin to what all other gas exporting countries do. Australia has by far the highest domestic gas prices of any gas exporting country. No other country would tolerate its gas being exported while its domestic market is paying the same high prices as international customers. The gas companies need to come to the party, either to earn their “licence to operate” or to avoid the threat of export controls. If they know the threat of export controls is real, I believe they will do what’s necessary without the need to actually control exports. A final point: there can be no argument about “<a href="https://sersolutions.com.au/what-is-sovereign-risk-and-how-does-it-affect-australia/">sovereign risk</a>”, the idea that foreign companies will no longer do business with Australia if it changes the rules. The long-term gas exporting contracts would remain intact. Australia would simply be aligning itself with all other gas exporting nations – and, by the way, with <a href="https://www.wa.gov.au/government/publications/wa-domestic-gas-policy">Western Australia</a>, which has long looked after its residents and businesses by reserving gas to ensure reasonable domestic prices.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193388/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Writen by Rod Sims. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/cheaper-gas-and-electricity-are-within-our-grasp-heres-what-to-do-193388" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Getty Images

Money & Banking

With cost of living skyrocketing, is it time to find cheaper health cover?

When was the last time you checked your health cover? If it’s been a while since you last checked your policy, you could be paying more than you need to. Despite the rising cost of living, there are still big savings to be made if you know where to look. <a href="https://compareclub.com.au/health-insurance/quote/cover-type-location/?utm_source=impact&utm_medium=affiliate&tm_campaign=raterise&utm_content=article&utm_term=getaquote&category=health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Compare Club</a>’s experts can help you compare health policies from a panel of leading insurers# and take care of the switching process – possibly saving you hundreds in just a few minutes. Over the last five years, Compare Club has saved customers an average of $320* on their annual health insurance costs when they switched policies through them. Their experts will help you squeeze out every last cent of savings and value from your policy. Rising cost of premiums Most health funds in Australia raise their premiums every year. While this helps the funds offset any rising healthcare costs, it can also add hundreds onto the cost of health insurance for many policyholders. The average premium increase this year will be 2.70%. Based on federal government estimates, this means that the average policyholder could see an increase of $125.84 if you’re on a family or couples policy, or $58.24 for singles policy holders. So if you normally pay $100 a month for private health insurance, a 2.70% rate rise would see your monthly premium increase to $102.70. That might not sound like much, but when you add up the costs over the course of a year, it can make a huge difference to how much of your income you're spending on health insurance. Why do health insurance premiums increase each year? The most common reasons why private health insurance funds increase their premiums annually include: <ul> <li>More people accessing health services each year.</li> <li>An ageing population and higher rates of conditions like cancer or heart attacks places a bigger strain on health services.</li> <li>Improved treatments are often more expensive for our healthcare system.</li> </ul> These factors help explain why health funds increase their premiums – and the cost of providing insurance to you gets more expensive each year. They don't always pass on the additional costs to you, their customers, but this is generally why you can expect your premiums to go up. Can you avoid the impact of health insurance premium increases in 2022? The short answer is yes, if you switch to a different, lower cost fund. The experts at <a href="https://compareclub.com.au/health-insurance/quote/cover-type-location/?utm_source=impact&utm_medium=affiliate&tm_campaign=raterise&utm_content=article&utm_term=getaquote&category=health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Compare Club</a> can help with this. They can compare policies and provide you with options that fit within your budget, saving you time jumping from insurer to insurer and comparing policies yourself. Will you have to serve new waiting periods if you switch policies? Not necessarily. You can switch to an equivalent or lower level of cover without serving new <a href="https://compareclub.com.au/health-insurance/waiting-periods/?utm_source=impact&utm_medium=affiliate&tm_campaign=raterise&utm_content=article&utm_term=getaquote&category=health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">waiting periods</a> on your health insurance. You’ll only need to serve new waiting periods if you have upgraded to a higher level of cover. Also, remember that any unserved waiting periods will transfer to your new health fund. So if you end up switching health insurance to an equivalent cover, you may need to finish these unserved waiting periods before you can make a claim. How do you know if I’m getting value for money from my health fund? If you haven't changed funds or policies in a few years, there’s a good chance you could be getting better value for money elsewhere. And if you’ve moved to a different state or out to regional Australia, your current health fund may not have agreements with your local hospital or dentist. One of the fastest and easiest ways to see how your current premiums stack up – and how much you could save by switching – is to <a href="https://compareclub.com.au/health-insurance/quote/cover-type-location/?utm_source=impact&utm_medium=affiliate&tm_campaign=raterise&utm_content=article&utm_term=getaquote&category=health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">compare health insurance quotes</a>. Why trust Compare Club? Here’s why you should compare health insurance with Compare Club: <ol> <li>They’re independently owned: Unlike some of their competitors, Compare Club isn’t owned by any insurers (or vice versa).</li> <li>They make switching easy: Compare Club has been helping Aussies save on their health insurance for over 10 years.</li> <li>They are 100% Australian owned: Compare Club’s entire health insurance team is based in Australia and comprehensively trained.</li> </ol> * Based on 111,658 policies sold Jan 2017–Nov 2021 # Compare Club compares selected products from a panel of trusted insurers. They do not compare all products in the market. This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with <a href="https://compareclub.com.au/health-insurance/quote/cover-type-location/?utm_source=impact&utm_medium=affiliate&tm_campaign=raterise&utm_content=article&utm_term=getaquote&category=health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Compare Club</a>. <a id="1191393" href="https://compareclub.sjv.io/c/3546413/1191393/14962"> . </a><img style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" src="https://imp.pxf.io/i/3546413/1191393/14962" width="0" height="0" border="0" />

Caring

Cheaper in Oz: One Kiwi shopper’s savvy way to save on groceries

A New Zealand woman has shared the unusual way that she saved 35 percent on her usual grocery bill - and it involves and it even comes with free shipping. The woman, who asked not to be identified, told the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/kiwi-shopper-saves-35-per-cent-ordering-groceries-from-australia/BL3RATPOZGLJQASWDRVY3DC4O4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a> that purchasing her usual groceries from Australia and shipping them to New Zealand ended up being significantly cheaper than shopping at her local supermarket. The Otago woman ordered 13 items from the neighbouring country, including pasta, nuts, dried fruit, rolled oats, toothbrushes, shampoo and hair dye, via Amazon. She told the publication she received her goods within five days, having paid just $AUD 93.30 ($NZD 100.59). “I only bought items that were included in a free shipping promotion, so I wasn’t charged for shipping. According to the receipt, shipping would have added $15,” she said. When she compared prices using the Countdown online shopping app, she found that the same items would have cost her an upwards of $30 more, totalling $NZD 139.96 ($AUD 129.82). She found the best deal was on toothpaste, which she paid $AUD 2.50 ($NZD2.69) for. “All the items were long-shelf life items. I don’t think ordering from Australia would work for fresh food,” she said. Though she made a significant saving, the savvy shopper says she might not repeat her “crazy little experiment” due to the carbon footprint that came with it. Image: Getty Images

Money & Banking

Why COVID-19 means the era of ever cheaper air travel could be over

After its worst two years since the second world war, 2022 is looking brighter for the global airline industry. For passengers, though, the chance to travel at low cost again may prove short-lived. In 2020 international passenger demand was <a href="https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/pr/2021-02-03-02/">less than 25%</a> that of 2019, according to the International Air Transport Association. 2021 data isn’t yet available, but the hiccups of the Delta and Omicron variants make the association’s forecasts of 50% of 2019 levels look optimistic. With international and domestic routes reopening, airlines are offering a range of special deals on airfares. These deals are partly to entice back uncertain travellers and partly to compensate passengers for costs required to travel internationally, such as fees for COVID tests. But don’t expect the cheap fares to last. They are likely to have a brief lifespan, as the industry come to grips with post-pandemic realities minus the government support that enabled so many, <a href="https://theconversation.com/once-the-pandemic-is-over-we-will-return-to-a-very-different-airline-industry-134124">contrary to predictions</a>, to survive. Now comes a reckoning, as surviving airlines seek to return to viability, repair their debt-laden balance sheets and future-proof their operations, with no guarantee they’ll get the same government support when the next crisis hits. What this may mean is abandoning the business model of wafer-thin profit margins that delivered ever cheaper airfares from the 1970s until the beginning of 2020. <h2>Regulation and jumbo jets</h2> Up until the 1970s the airline industry was highly regulated. Domestically, this was often done by governments to protect state-owned airlines. Australia’s “<a href="https://www.taamuseum.org.au/TwoAirlinePolicy/">two-airline policy</a>”, for example, restricted competition on major routes to just two airlines – the government-owned Trans Australia Airlines and a private competitor (Ansett Airlines for most that time). Internationally, airfares were kept high by price cooperation through the International Air Transport Association (IATA), often described as a cartel. There were two ticket pricing levels – first-class and economy. Until 1970 the biggest commercial jet aircraft was a Boeing 707, which could accommodate 180 passengers at a squeeze. Airfares had to be high to cover the high cost of operations (especially jet fuel). Most airlines accepted the IATA fare levels. Discounting was rare. Then in 1970 came the Boeing 747 jumbo jet, which more than doubled flights’ passenger capacity, from 180 to 440. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436818/original/file-20211209-136652-1tkvgop.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436818/original/file-20211209-136652-1tkvgop.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> A Boeing 707-138B alongside a Boeing 747 at the Qantas Founders Outback Museum, Longreach, Queensland. <a href="http://www.airliners.net/photo/Qantas-(Qantas-Foundation/Boeing-707-138B/1569939/L/" class="source">Wal Nelowkin</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/" class="license">CC BY-SA</a> This led to many changes in aviation operations and costs. Jumbo jets also enabled greater seat-pricing flexibility, with the introduction of business and premium economy classes. <h2>Airfares plummet</h2> When I began work as a travel consultant in 1981 the regulation of air fares was beginning to unravel. The official IATA economy return fare from Sydney to London was about A$3,500. But you could find fares on selected airlines for about A$2,500. (This was still several months’ wages for most, with Australian average weekly full-time earnings in 1981 being <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/media-releases/families-then-and-now-how-income-and-employment-changed-australian-households-between-1980-and-2019">A$311 for men and A$241 for women</a>.) In the 1980s and 1990s, travel agents began to set themselves up as “bucket shops” specialising in offering discounted air fares to fill empty seats on less popular airlines. This was how Flight Centre started. It opened its first shopfront <a href="https://www.fctgl.com/our-brands/leisure/flight-centre/">in Sydney in 1982</a>, followed by stores in Melbourne and Brisbane. (It now has more than 650 shops in Australia, and more than 550 in 10 other countries.) Lower costs and plummeting air fares made the IATA’s fares increasingly irrelevant. With the global rise of low-cost carriers, many of which were not IATA members, the IATA finally abandoned <a href="https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/pr/2017-07-06-02/">so-called “YY” fare-setting in 2017</a>. Government regulation was also unwinding. Australia’s two-airline policy <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/report_073.pdf">ended in October 1990</a>. Deregulation permitted more competitors, and airfares were driven by the market rather than set by regulatory bodies. By 2019, a return fare between Sydney and London on a reputable airline could be bought for about A$1,250, less than Australia’s average full-time adult average <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/earnings-and-work-hours/average-weekly-earnings-australia/nov-2019">weekly earnings of A$1,658</a>. A Sydney-Perth return fare that cost about A$1,100 in 1981 could be bought in 2019 for less than A$300. <h2>Why the cheap fare era may end</h2> These price falls depended on airlines embracing a business model based on lower profits per customer but flying a lot more customers, cutting fixed overheads by using larger-capacity aircraft. This business model contributed to the number of global tourists increasing from about 166 million in 1970 to <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/tourism">1.5 billion in 2019</a>. But it also meant airlines needed planes full of passengers to make a profit. By 2019 the average pre-COVID profit margin per passenger on a long-haul international return flight was <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2019-12-11/iata-again-cuts-airline-profitability-outlook-2019">about US$10</a>. It’s difficult to see how running on razor-thin margins can continue to be the industry model. During 2022 it is likely we will see consolidation within the industry, with the airlines that survive looking to diversify into other businesses, such as catering or insurance. Low-cost carriers may still be viable, but only by convincing customers to pay for “ancilliaries” beyond the airline seat, such as in-flight snacks, extra luggage capacity or a booking a hire car. Although most airlines are committed to limiting price increases, there is no escaping the fact they have two years of massive losses to make up and the continuing extra cost of COVID-related regulations to absorb. Higher margins with lower passenger volumes looks the more probable model.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172149/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-beirman-4852">David Beirman</a>, Senior Lecturer, Tourism, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-covid-19-means-the-era-of-ever-cheaper-air-travel-could-be-over-172149">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock

International Travel

"Where can I find this cheaper?" New app compares Coles and Woolies

Image: Wiselist app It’s the age-old question shoppers everywhere have been asking almost every day: “Where can I find this cheaper?” Well, today is the today those questions have been answered. Wiselist, a free app, will compare weekly prices between Coles and Woolworths. “Super cheap and handy to have both Coles and Woolies groceries mix and matched, then delivered on the same day,” one shopper wrote in the money-saving Facebook group ‘Markdown addicts Australia’. Budget-savvy shoppers are keen to understand how the app works and how they can implement it as part of their grocery shopping routine. “Oh, what? Did not know this was a thing! And here’s me manually looking up the prices for my shopping list before we go out,” one person wrote in a post about the app. “This is a life-saver for me! Didn’t even know about it,” added another. So, how does Wiselist work? It works by offering the consumer the option to search for items and create their own grocery list. As items are searched for, the list of products appears, breaking down the cost between Coles and Woolworths. The cheaper option is displayed at the top, showing the price difference between stores for that particular product. There is an option to create a grocery list for the week or fortnight with the price breakdown from each store available. You can even browse products through each of the stores' weekly catalogues and add them to your shopping list. As you add items, the app displays a price comparison for that item and total price for both Coles and Woolworths, letting you know which store has the cheaper option. The app also includes a watchlist feature, enabling you to be alerted when items go on sale. You can even add Flybuys and Everyday Rewards cards to the app to collect your points. So what’s the catch? While the app is useful for price comparison, the delivery feature isn’t available to everyone. It’s only available in metro Sydney. You would need to take into account the 5 per cent charge and delivery fee on top of your grocery bill. While this app seems like every budget-friendly shoppers dream, some users have pointed out “it sometimes displays the same price of products, but a different price per unit which customers need to look out for.” Apps including ‘Frugl’ have also been suggested. Happy savings!

Technology

Small businesses are being starved of funds: here’s how to make their loans cheaper

The government has widely touted its support for small businesses – most notably the provision of loans subsidised by the Reserve Bank. In its economic update on Friday the Reserve Bank talked up its low-cost <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-a-rate-cut-behind-the-reserve-banks-three-point-plan-134140">Term Funding Facility</a>. Take-up was “<a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/smp/2020/aug/pdf/00-overview.pdf">increasing steadily</a>”. The scheme gives banks <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/smp/2020/aug/pdf/box-e-the-reserve-banks-term-funding-facility-tff.pdf">ultra low-interest money</a> (0.25% per year for three years) on the understanding they will lend it to households and businesses that need it. The first allocation was a proportion of each lenders’ loan book. The second was conditional on the the lender expanding lending to business. Join 130,000 people who subscribe to free evidence-based news. Get newsletter For every extra dollar the bank extended to large business, it would get one extra dollar of funding from the Reserve Bank. For every extra dollar it lent to a small or medium size business it would get an extra five dollars. Yet the official figures suggest that the overwhelming bulk of the new money has gone to big businesses, those with turnovers of more than A$50 million per year. Medium-sized businesses have barely got a look-in. Lending to small businesses has actually gone backwards. Outstanding credit to businesses Loans outstanding for big businesses are 7.4% higher than at the start of the year, loans outstanding for medium-sized businesses are just 1.3% higher, and loans outstanding for small businesses are down 0.6%. Not only have banks channelled the overwhelming bulk of their new lending to large businesses, they have also done so at lower interest rates. Credit spread reductions for businesses Why have small businesses missed out? One explanation might be that they are not interested in borrowing. However, ask any economist, and she will tell you that demand for a good is usually a function of its price. This ought to be also be true for business credit. The Reserve Bank says small businesses are being charged as much as 4.5%. If the interest rate was lower there is a fair chance the amount borrowed would rise. Banks don’t think they’re worth the risk Another explanation might be that banks don’t see much profit in lending to small businesses. Start ups are risky, even more so in a recession. But the Term Funding Facility was specifically set up to counter this. Unfortunately it has proved inadequate to the task. The Reserve Bank’s offer of a three year loan fixed at 0.25% has not been generous enough to appeal to a banking sector whose cost of funding from traditional sources has also plunged. What can it do to re-calibrate the Term Funding Facility? It is is due to expire in January and will need to be extended in one form or another. They might if the money was free One solution would be to take a leaf out of Europe’s book and make the interest rate on part of the next phase of the program negative, essentially free money. The European Central Bank’s scheme offers loans at rates as low as -1% to banks that are willing to expand lending to small and medium-sized businesses. This offer has helped drive the interest rate faced by small and medium-sized businesses as low as 2%, well below the 4.5% sometimes charged in Australia. If the Reserve Bank offered part of the Term Funding Facility at a negative interest rate for banks that expanded lending to small businesses, it would likely see some expansion. It would both help stimulate the economy and increasing financial stability by making small business failures less likely. Some might argue against this by saying that negative interest rates are unprecedented in Australia. But this argument does not hold water. The times, and almost every proposed solution to our current problems, are unprecedented too. Written by Isaac Gross. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/small-businesses-are-being-starved-of-funds-heres-how-to-make-their-loans-cheaper-143834">The Conversation.</a>

Retirement Life

Who is cheaper? Woman’s shares shocking supermarket shopping list

Catherine Hoge has proven she is a pro when it comes to finding a bargain, however even she was shocked to realise how much cheaper her produce is from a local grocer rather than a major supermarket. The 52-year-old nurse from Manly, Brisbane, says she often bulk-purchases when it comes to fruits and veggies for herself, her pet pig and her friend’s 10 miniature horses. Ms Hodge says she can easily become carried away and spend much more than she needs to every few weeks, so believes it is important to keep a steady plan when it comes to large purchases. “I always keep an eye out for the Woolworths catalogue and print off the half price specials and buy that,” she says. However, not even Ms Hoge realised just how “crazy” the price difference was when she compared her local grocer’s prices to woolies. Sharing her huge savings to the popular Facebook group Simple Savers, Ms Hoge revealed that for 11 different types of items including bananas, rockmelon, strawberries and oranges, she managed to save $129.75. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837155/jetstar-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/eb931c9a424346adb6b90cab0449a387" /> How she managed to do it was by simply opting to shop at her local Birkdale Farmers market in Brisbane. “The differences are crazy,” she said. “Price comparison. Suburban fruit ’n’ veg market vs local Woolies. $79.33 saved … 61 per cent cheaper!” She later edited the post to reveal she in fact saved about $130. The list showed insane price comparisons including lady finger bananas to be $1.99/kg at her local grocer but $7.50/kg at Woolworths Mayfair Village. Respectively strawberries cost her $6.98/kg compared to $11.20/kg. Rockmelons were what shocked her the most. At just 9 cents each, she decided to buy 12, but the price left her so stunned she asked a staff member if it was correct. “I asked the lady it was a mistake, if they actually were 9 cents … it’s just crazy. I knew I was saving a massive amount but I never expected it to be this much,” Ms Hoge told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/womans-supermarket-comparison-list-reveals-crazy-price-difference/news-story/9a5ad91f1428f28ecf0e2d6b14def6dc" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>. She says her woolies didn’t have candy melons and instead used the cost from Coles to make the comparison. All in all, choosing to buy from Woolies would have set her back $180.17. “I buy whatever is cheapest,” she said, “which is mainly for the animals. “I have a pet pig and while he stays at my friend’s place, he is my responsibility. But on his acreage he also has 10 miniature horses so anything they like which is usually apples and carrots, I also buy. “I just started stockpiling recently and it’s not at all about panic buying – I just see huge benefit in buying in bulk.”

Food & Wine

Thousands of Aussies ditching big energy companies for cheaper, local alternatives

Affordable energy continues to be a top concern for many seniors and cost-wary Aussie battlers, with most households feeling the pressure of rising energy costs for a number of years now. Recent changes to retailer pricing and advertising came into effect on July 1st 2019. These reforms had two main objectives: 1. Reduce the rising costs for standing offers, which are the default electricity plans for consumers who don’t compare and save with market offers. 2. Improve the ability for consumers to compare prices and identify the best deals across all market offers, which are contracts that can include discounts, sign-up incentives, and more competitive rates. For consumers, this means that shopping around can potentially result in significant savings, especially with smaller energy companies. That’s why last month alone over 40,000 Aussies have used <a rel="noopener" href="https://electricityandgas.com.au/form/stepn-tw-ab/?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=sponsoredarticle&utm_campaign=eng-december&utm_content=ditching-big-companies-for-cheaper-local" target="_blank">ElectricityandGas.com.au</a><a rel="noopener" href="https://electricityandgas.com.au/form/stepn-tw-ab/?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=sponsoredarticle&utm_campaign=eng-december&utm_content=ditching-big-companies-for-cheaper-local" target="_blank"> </a>to compare and save on their energy costs. With these new changes, some Aussies are finding that their costs have decreased by as much as $430. Step 1: Select your State below. Step 2: After answering a few questions, you will have the opportunity to compare quotes in your area and could be eligible for significant savings. <a rel="noopener" href="https://electricityandgas.com.au/form/stepn-tw-ab/?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=sponsoredarticle&utm_campaign=eng-december&utm_content=ditching-big-companies-for-cheaper-local" target="_blank"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7833002/life-comparison-insurance-6.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/bf8f300fcd0743d48312e94df8455c71" /></a> Customers who do <a rel="noopener" href="https://electricityandgas.com.au/form/stepn-tw-ab/?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=sponsoredarticle&utm_campaign=eng-december&utm_content=ditching-big-companies-for-cheaper-local" target="_blank">shop around and compare</a><a rel="noopener" href="https://electricityandgas.com.au/form/stepn-tw-ab/?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=sponsoredarticle&utm_campaign=eng-december&utm_content=ditching-big-companies-for-cheaper-local" target="_blank"> </a>should consider looking at smaller energy companies. A recent report by the ACCC found that these smaller electricity companies are providing some of the best deals available. Almost a million Aussies have already seen some savings to their electricity bills, but the ACCC suggests that most people can receive additional savings by shopping around and comparing market offers with smaller electricity retailers. If you’re not on a market offer energy plan, it’s likely that you may be paying the maximum a retailer can charge you for electricity. With these new changes, there’s no reason to keep overpaying on your energy bill due to the “loyalty tax” a lot of Aussies face by not comparing services. Last year almost 400,000 Aussies chose <a href="https://electricityandgas.com.au/form/stepn-tw-ab/?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=sponsoredarticle&utm_campaign=eng-december&utm_content=ditching-big-companies-for-cheaper-local">ElectricityandGas.com.au</a><a href="https://electricityandgas.com.au/form/stepn-tw-ab/?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=sponsoredarticle&utm_campaign=eng-december&utm_content=ditching-big-companies-for-cheaper-local"> </a>to help them compare, switch and save. Now it’s your turn — your savings are only a few clicks away. Get Started Now: Step 1: Select your state below. Step 2: After answering a few questions, you will have the opportunity to compare quotes in your area and could be eligible for significant savings. <a rel="noopener" href="https://electricityandgas.com.au/form/stepn-tw-ab/?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=sponsoredarticle&utm_campaign=eng-december&utm_content=ditching-big-companies-for-cheaper-local" target="_blank"></a> <a rel="noopener" href="https://electricityandgas.com.au/form/stepn-tw-ab/?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=sponsoredarticle&utm_campaign=eng-december&utm_conte" target="_blank"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7833025/cta.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/868cc0a786484ce6bf747bed824a85d4" /></a> This article is opinion only and should not be taken as financial advice.

Money & Banking

The new food revolution: How dining on a cruise just got better and cheaper

Michelin-starred or celebrity chef-run restaurants are not hard to come by on a cruise anymore – because they’ve come to you. Cruising the ocean can, believe it or not, be where you find incredible food for reasonable prices. With dinner options that aren’t available on land and a range of food that will leave your wallets as well as your belly satisfied, maybe a cruise should be your next holiday destination if you’re a foodie. Here are some reasons why you should dine out on the seven seas, so your taste buds love you even more. Michelin-starred choices The exciting factors that are coming into play for cruise lines is their increasing range of food for affordable prices – and the best part is the quality is so good it’s award winning. At the restaurant Harmony which can be found on the Majestic Princess cruise ship, it’s one of the only restaurants off-shore that has a Michelin-starred menu and chef. In fact, Harmony, run by a former chef for Wing Lei – the first Chinese restaurant in North America that has a Michelin star – has created a list of food that appeases your cravings for Cantonese dishes as well as seafood, mouth-watering noodle dishes and soups. Food is fun As demands for more creative and delicious food on cruise lines increases – the more fun cruisers will see from restaurants and experimentative chefs. On one cruise line, dishes are presented on porcelain plates decorated with Sodamin’s Food Faces culinary pop art, produced by the French brand Bernardaud. This restaurant featured on Holland America’s cruise line headed by Rudi Sel De Mar and launched in 2016. 24-hour pizza restaurants are proving popular as well for their ease and accessibility for cruise passengers. All types of options for your cravings One of the best factors of cruise food is there are endless options to satisfy all your cravings on board. If you’re feeling a craving for a plate of fresh sushi made to order, then carnival cruise lines have that for you. If fresh fruit with a side of yoghurt is calling your name after a great workout then head down to the breakfast bar on your cruise’s food hall level. The best part is, most of the food is free, delicious and fresh. What more could you ask for? What is the most memorable you’ve ever had on a cruise? Let us know in the comments below.

Cruising

Why parking fines are about to get cheaper

NSW drivers can expect to see cheaper parking fines following a major penalty overhaul from the NSW government. In this month’s state budget, 10 common parking fines will be reduced by 25 per cent. The State Government only issues about 10 per cent of all parking fines but Treasurer Dominic Perrottet is calling on councils to follow suit. “Fines should be a deterrent to an offence, but they also should be fair, and not used as an easy option to build a bankroll for whatever project is flavour of the day,” he said on Saturday. At Government-controlled parking zones, minimum fines will fall from $110 to $80. The changes will come into effect on July 1 in government-controlled parking zones, including Barangaroo, The Botanic Gardens, Centennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park, and Wentworth and Parramatta Parks. “We’re setting maximums for councils, they’ll have the flexibility now to charge less, [so the] ball’s in their court,” Mr Perrottet said. “I call on them to do it.” The investigation will also focus on fixing unclear street signs so that drivers are not unwittingly penalised. Local councils raked in about $172 million in the 2016/17 financial year from parking penalties. State government-issued fines totalled $15 million. “Fines such as speeding, running a red light, not wearing a seat belt, stopping on a clearway or using a mobile phone when driving are naturally much higher … they are not part of this review,” Mr Perrottet said. The NSW Business Chamber praised the state government’s proposal to cap fines imposed by councils. “It will be pretty clear now which councils want to work with their residents and businesses, and which ones are simply interested in revenue raising,” chief executive Stephen Cartwright said. “(People who) make honest mistakes due to confusing messages, or are delayed by a couple of minutes while they complete their shopping should not be penalised by huge fines.” Fines to be cut by 25 per cent: 1. Park for longer than permitted 2. Park without ticket displayed 3. Park after ticket expired 4. Stand vehicle in area longer than allowed 5. Stop in restricted parking area 6. Park after meter expired 7. Not stand vehicle in marked parking space 8. Remain in ticket-operated loading zone after ticket expired 9. Park without current loading zone ticket 10. Park without paying meter fee

Legal

Cheaper alternatives to popular meals

Looking to save a few dollars in the kitchen? These dishes will taste just as good as the originals. 1. Filet mignon One of the most expensive cuts of steak around, filet mignon is known for being tender and full of flavour. But if you’re on a budget, there’s a neat hack that makes any cut of steak taste like a million dollars. Put your steak in a baking tray and cover the entire surface (yep, all of it) with coarse grained salt. Leave it to marinate for at least an hour, then rinse it thoroughly and pat completely dry with paper towel. Voila! A tender, juicy, salt-aged steak worthy of filet mignon. 2. Indian curries Meat is generally what nudges the price of a meal up, so going vegetarian could save you plenty. Indian is one cuisine that is almost better when it’s meat-free. Experiment with masala, rogan josh and pilau using just chick peas, lentils and seasonal vegetables. Plus, you can usually just chuck everything in the one pot and let it bubble away, so you’re saving time as well. 3. Lamb cutlets Lamb cutlets are often eye-wateringly expensive – think upwards of $35 a kilo, which gets even worse when you consider how much of it is bone. Swap them out for lamb forequarter chops, which are usually less than $15 a kilo. You can grill them in much the same way as cutlets, though the meat can be a little tougher so slow cooking or marinating beforehand is a great option. 4. Spaghetti marinara A spaghetti dish full of seafood is delicious, but can also be pricey to make. But here’s a little secret – if you are cooking seafood (as opposed to serving it fresh) then frozen works just as well. You can pick up frozen marinara mix for much cheaper than the fresh stuff and the taste will be exactly the same. You can also scale your dish down and just go for a prawn pasta, as small frozen shrimp are usually very good value. What’s your favourite meal to enjoy on the cheap?

Money & Banking

5 destinations where cruising is cheaper than being on land

You'd have to be a maths genius to work out exactly what your holiday will cost before you actually take it. Comparing the better deal between land and sea is even harder. What standard of hotel matches a ship's cabin? Are you really going to eat four-course meals every night on land, or will you be reduced to a quick hamburger? Do shore excursions represent good value? Not always at first glance, until you take into account transportation, queue-jumping privileges and the insights provided by a guide. Similarly, you may well be able to save money organising your own holiday, but what you won't save is time, organisational headaches and energy. You can get around the lovely capital cities of the Baltic in a week on a cruise ship and never have to worry as you're wafted from place to place overnight. You'd be hard-pressed to achieve the same tour on land in a similar timeframe, and much of your holiday would be spent navigating airport lounges and finding your hotels. A cruise won't always save you money, even if it provides a different and wonderful experience. But sometimes it really does, and you might want to think carefully about the cost of cruising versus independent travel in some of the world's most expensive destinations, especially if the whole family is on the move. A pity we can't cruise in Switzerland, therefore. Still, here are some examples of destinations where cruising can provide better value than a do-it-yourself visit. 1. ICELAND In the latest holiday hotspot, even a McDonald's meal will cost you A$20 and a beer A$13. You'd better have a hefty budget – and book well ahead in a country seeing soaring visitor numbers. Reykjavik is one of Europe's most expensive capital cities. And it's getting worse, with the krone at a high against the Aussie dollar and the government set to hike hotel and tourist taxes. On land, as an example, an upmarket Natural Wonders of Iceland tour with Insight Vacations (<a href="http://insightvacations.com/" target="_blank">insightvacations.com</a>) costs from A$5350pp for nine days. A 14-night journey on Aurora with P&O Cruises (<a href="http://pocruises.com/" target="_blank">pocruises.com</a>), departing Southampton in June 2018, is priced from A$2569pp, leaving you ample change for shore excursions, which cost extra. As a bonus, you'll also visit Dublin and the Norwegian fiords. That works out as A$183pp per day, which you could easily spend just on three meals in Iceland. Alternatively, an active small-ship cruise with Peregrine Adventures (<a href="http://peregrineadventures.com/" target="_blank">peregrineadventures.com</a>) costs A$4650pp for eight days, inclusive of daily activities such as visits to waterfalls and lighthouses, guided walks and a city tour. It departs on July 7, 2018, and sails the west coast of Iceland between Reykjavik and Akureyri on the 49-passenger Panorama. 2. THE CARIBBEAN Bermuda, the Bahamas and the US Virgin Islands all feature in the top 10 most expensive countries, according to price-monitoring research site Numbeo (<a href="http://numbeo.com/" target="_blank">numbeo.com</a>). Yet Carnival Cruises (<a href="http://carnival.com/" target="_blank">carnival.com</a>) has short six-day journeys out of Port Canaveral near Orlando that visit Nassau, Amber Cove and Grand Turk (plus two days at sea) from an average A$637pp for an inside cabin – a price which wouldn't even get you motel rooms, never mind food and transportation, in the Caribbean. With the money you save, you could add on a three-night Orlando hotel package from Flight Centre (<a href="http://flightcentre.com.au/" target="_blank">flightcentre.com.au</a>) that includes admission to theme parks and airport transfer from A$1049pp. For something less mainstream, Star Clippers (<a href="http://starclippers.com/" target="_blank">starclippers.com</a>) will take you on a seven-night Grenadine Islands cruise that visits chic Martinique and Barbados as well as remote islets for swimming and exploration. It comes in at A$2905pp plus A$280pp in port charges, or A$455pp per day – a pretty sweet deal for an experience of cruising under sail. Similar do-it-yourself transportation between the islands would be highly costly, if not impossible. 3. NORWAY Norway is famously expensive: you'll wince at the price of coffee (A$7) or beer (A$13), never mind a mid-range meal (A$70). Even a dorm bed in an Oslo hostel might sting you A$70. Independent travellers will have to book repeated scenic cruises to see the fabulous coastline for which Norway is most renowned. A three-hour fiord cruise from Stavanger alone costs A$78pp (<a href="http://rodne.no/" target="_blank">rodne.no</a>). Fortunately, Norway is a top cruise destination with ample opportunity to bag a bargain that will save you hefty transportation costs and provide you with spectacular scenery almost 24 hours a day in summer. Norwegian company Hurtigruten (<a href="http://hurtigruten.com/" target="_blank">hurtigruten.com</a>), for example, cruises almost the entire coast from Bergen to Kirkenes from A$1233pp, which works out at A$176pp per day over a seven-day itinerary that gives you a wonderful close-up encounter with remote fiords. 4. FRENCH POLYNESIA Paul Gauguin Cruises (<a href="http://pgcruises.com/" target="_blank">pgcruises.com</a>) has seven-night Tahiti and Society Islands cruises which stop in the classic French Polynesian islands of Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine and Bora Bora over seven days, and also at private islet Motu Mahana for a beach barbecue. Cruise Sale Finder (<a href="http://cruisesalefinder.com.au/" target="_blank">cruisesalefinder.com.au</a>) is currently offering cruise-package deals out of Sydney or Melbourne for $6607pp, including airfare and two nights' accommodation at InterContinental Tahiti Resort. That isn't the cheapest cruise, but consider this: the InterContinental is A$593 per night on Trivago (<a href="http://trivago.com.au/" target="_blank">trivago.com.au</a>), while Le Meridien Bora Bora is A$1505 if you want to nab the sort of overwater bungalow that gets you a prime ocean location. A domestic Discovery Pass with Air Tahiti (<a href="http://airtahiti.com/" target="_blank">airtahiti.com</a>) links you to the same islands for A$461pp. Food costs in French Polynesia are shocking. That makes even a luxury cruise a reasonable proposition. You can do it on more of a budget with cruise-freighter Aranui 5, which sails from Papeete in Tahiti on a 14-day itinerary around Bora Bora, Rangiroa and the Marquesas Islands. The custom-built, dual-purpose vessel delivers cargo while passengers disembark and explore on included excursions such as snorkelling, village tours and visits to archaeological sites. The cruise costs from A$4700pp or A$335pp per day. You can also get shared dormitory cabins from about A$2900pp. 5. THE BALTIC Two issues make the Baltic an expensive place for individual travel. Many of the cities on its shorelines are among the most pricey in the world. In Copenhagen, Helsinki and Stockholm, a mid-range hotel goes for around A$220 a night and a meal costs about A$80. Circling the Baltic by land is a logistical challenge that will take you a long time by land or have you resorting to the air. A single flight Stockholm-Helsinki costs A$136pp on Expedia (<a href="http://expedia.com.au/" target="_blank">expedia.com.au</a>). Just about every major cruise line offers Baltic cruises that link its city highlights. Celebrity Cruises (<a href="http://celebritycruises.com.au/" target="_blank">celebritycruises.com.au</a>) has itineraries that operate between May and August, departing Southampton on Celebrity Silhouette and Amsterdam on Celebrity Eclipse. An example is the 12-night Scandinavia and Russia cruise on Celebrity Silhouette, which departs on June 19, 2018, and costs from A$3188pp twin share in an inside cabin, or A$265pp per day. True, shore excursions cost extra, though Scandinavian cities are small and easily navigated, so you could always explore yourself. Note, however, that you'll save on museum and palace entrance fees and the cost of a Russian visa, which is waived if you book official cruise shore excursions in St Petersburg. The writer has travelled as a guest of numerous cruise companies. Written by Brian Johnston. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz.</a>

Cruising

10 ways to eat cheaper at restaurants

Dining out doesn’t have to mean blowing the budget. Here are 10 ways to eat cheaper at restaurants. To see them all, scroll through the gallery above. What is your favourite restaurant to eat at?

Retirement Income

Expensive attractions with cheaper alternatives

You don’t need to spend big to get a million dollar experience. BridgeClimb vs Pedestrian walkway Many people (Sydneysiders included) don’t realise that there is a pedestrian walkway running alongside the road on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It offers stellar views over the harbour and Opera House, is completely safe and doesn’t cost you a penny. Start from the stairs near the pylons at either end and don’t forget your camera. The Shard vs Sky Garden If you want a view of the London, there’s no need to pay the £20+ fee to get to the top of The Shard. Instead, head to Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street, just across the River Thames. It’s an incredible space that spans three storeys and gives uninterrupted 360-degree views across the city, complete with landscaped gardens and open observation terraces. Entry is free – you’ll just need to book a ticket online before you go. MOMA vs The Bronx Museum of the Arts (and others) The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (better known as MOMA) has a suggested admission price of US$25. Jump on the subway and head to the Bronx, an up and coming neighbourhood that’s also home to a seriously cool museum. In fact, there are a dozen or more New York museums that you can see for free, so get your fix of arts, culture or history without having to pay a thing. Hong Kong Philharmonic vs Street concerts in Wan Chai To see some of the best musicians in Hong Kong, you don’t necessarily have to pay big bucks to sit in the concert hall. The Wan Chai district is known for its lively restaurants, historic buildings and buzzing nightlife, but a few nights a week it’s also the spot for free outdoor concerts. Composer, performer and music activist Kung Chi-Shing organises free performances on different nights of the week outside some of the district’s most famous buildings. It’s an immersive, raw, authentic experience that money can’t buy. Hundertwasserhaus vs Kawakawa toilet block Bet you didn’t expect to see a toilet block on this list, huh? Iconic Austrian-born architect Friedensrieh Hundertwasser has created hundreds of buildings around the world, but the Hundertwasserhaus apartment block in Vienna is his most famous. If you can't afford the plane fare, head over the pond to New Zealand’s Bay of Islands and visit the most famous toilet block in the world. In 1998 he redesigned the small toilet block in this remote rural community, the only building he ever designed in the Southern Hemisphere and a bona fide international icon. Have you experienced any of these attractions?

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5 tips for getting off gas at home – for a cleaner, cheaper, healthier all-electric future

Coronation Quiche anyone? You’ll need to fork out A$38. Here are cheaper and healthier options