The solar panel hack that could save you hundreds

New research shows households are at risk losing hundreds of dollars because they don’t understand how panels work. Here’s the hack that could help you save on your power bill.

New research shows households are at risk losing hundreds of dollars because they don’t understand how panels work.

Battler suburbs have been revealed as Melbourne’s solar hotspots as research shows households risk losing hundreds of dollars because they don’t understand how panels work.

Cranbourne, Hoppers Crossing and Werribee collectively added solar panels to more than 23,300 homes between 2001 and 2019.

Outer suburbs Craigieburn (5185 homes), Narre Warren (4363) and Caroline Springs (4308) were also among the top postcodes for installation.

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But alarming new research from analysis firm Essence, completed for DC Power, has found 64 per cent of households do not confidently understand their solar systems.

And while most installed solar to cut their power costs, just three in 10 households regularly monitored their energy use or knew about complicated “feed-in tariffs”.

Vinnies energy expert Gavin Dufty Gavin Dufty said Victorians needed to know the best time of day to use their solar to most effectively cut their power bill.

Households can sell excess solar power to the grid but the feed-in tariffs are typically a lot lower than the cost of buying energy from power companies.

64 per cent of households do not confidently understand their solar systems.

It catches people who sell cheaper power back to grid during the day, when the sun is shining and they aren’t home, but buy more expensive energy at night to watch TV, run a dishwasher or start the washing machine.

“People don’t take the time to explain to households how to best use their panels,” Mr Dufty said.

“If you’ve got panels you’ve got to make sure they’re working for you and that you adjust your life to make them work for you.

“The best time for households to use appliances like washing machines, dishwashers or dryers is during the day when they are generating. It can be as easy as setting a timer.”

Figures from DC Power, Australia’s first crowdfunded energy company for solar customers, shows households with a 4kW system that isn’t working properly could lose up to $1100 a year.

The best time for households to use appliances like washing machines is during the day, which you can do by setting a timer.

Founder Nic Frances-Gilley said customers needed tailored energy plans, more information on their usage and bills that were simple to understand.

“Right now in Victoria there are probably a million people who would like solar but are not sure about how to use it,” he said.

“But these people could be generating their own energy and they need the proper support.”

Craigieburn’s Williams-Mead family cut their bills from as much as $500 a month to $30 a week after installing 6W solar panels in 2017.

Father-of-two Ben Williams said while they were dudded on expensive installation and panels, they had adjusted their energy use to reduce costs.

“We try to use our dishwasher and drier during the day when the solar is operating,” he said.

“My biggest message to people is to stick to a company that specialising in solar and do your research.

“When you pick up your bill, you should be able to see on the front page how much you are feeding back into the grid and how much you are spending.

“You shouldn’t have to interrupt.”

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