Winter chill sparks thoughts of energy bills

Temperatures have plummeted overnight with the first chill of winter, and householders minds will turn to energy bills.

If the Australian Energy Regulator is successful, annual electricity bills in NSW should drop by around $219 this year.

But power bills remain the most complained about cost for families.

See below for the list of NSW government energy rebates

Lina Reza and Robert Kitchen have already been stung by costly power bills, and last quarter paid almost $800.

"For two people in a house getting that size bill - it's ridiculous," Ms Reza said.

This winter, the couple is relying on gas to heat their home, but even gas prices went up 17.8 percent last year.

"If the gas is going up then that's going to be adding onto the bill as well," Ms Reza said.

Matt Levey from consumer group Choice said the type of heater can make a massive difference to power bills.

"We're talking hundreds of dollars a year," he said.

A reverse cycle air conditioner is the cheapest way to heat your home - at 15 cents an hour.

The upfront cost is prohibitive, with the average unit costing more than $5000.

Gas heaters cost between 20 and 22 cents an hour to run.

Oil-filled column heaters cost 45 cents an hour to run.

Fan heaters also run at 45 cents, but are only good for small spaces.

Radiant heaters are the cheapest to buy, but they are the most expensive to run at 65 cents an hour.

One of the biggest ways to save on your bills is to look at the energy star rating.

As an election promise, the State Government announced up to 60,000 households will be able to get interest free loans or discounts on energy efficient appliances.

There's no time frame yet for the program which will target pensioners and low income households.

Energy Australia's Gavin Lewis said there were other ways to make homes energy efficient.

"Making sure that your home is insulated as well as you can, double glazed windows really helps, it stops the heat from escaping," he said.

Available energy rebates from the NSW government:

• Low Income Household Rebate – for customers who hold eligible concession cards issued by the Federal Department of Human Services or the Department of Veterans Affairs;
• Family Energy Rebate – available to customers who have received the Family Tax Benefit;
• Life Support Rebate – for households where residents use certain medical equipment necessary to sustain life; and
• Medical Energy Rebate – for eligible customers who have a medically diagnosed inability to self-regulate body temperature when exposed to extremes of environmental temperatures.
• Residential Communities - for people who live in residential communities (caravan parks) who are eligible to receive electricity rebates