Electricity Prices: A Green Home Is a Dream Home, Electricity Deals

Unions have called on the Federal Government to pay for a mass retrofitting of homes to slash electricity use.

It would cost the government $5500 a piece to fit a home with insulation, double glazing and smart appliances. Australians could save $400 a year on electricity bills and dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The Southern Cross Climate Coalition has proposed this plan and if it were to succeed then 20,000 additional jobs would be created.

If 500,000 homes were to be retrofitted then 1.5 million tonnes of emissions would be saved. By retrofitting 1.2 million homes 17,000 jobs would be created and 3.7 million tonnes of emissions would be saved.

Once an emission trading scheme is established in 2010 it is likely gas rates and electricity prices will increase because most electricity comes from coal, so generates greenhouse emissions.

Under the proposal, wealthy households would pay something towards their retrofit, while lower income households would get it for free.

As gas and electricity suppliers fight for their greater market share, it is important for consumers to continually scan and compare electricity & gas prices to ensure that they get the best deal.

To find a better deal visit our Electricity & Gas section and switch electricity and gas providers online.

Damon Rasheed is the CEO of Rate Detective, one of Australia's leading financial service comparison sites specialising in Life Insurance, Income Protection Insurance and home loans. Damon holds a Master's Degree in Economics from the University of Melbourne and has been involved in many start-up internet businesses. Since Damon founded Rate Detective in 2007, the company has grown to be in the top 3 insurance companies in Australia.

Unfortunately not all electricity retailers provide ShopAround with their pricing data and accordingly these retailers are not listed on ShopAround or Rate Detective. We hope in time that these retailers will provide such data so that comparison sites, like Rate Detective, can provide a complete transparent picture of electricity pricing which will help educate consumers and create increased competition in the electricity industry.

Please note that Rate Detective remains completely impartial and unbiased to all our suppliers who have provided pricing data.