Tasmanians Cut Power Bills with Aurora Energy's Free 'Power Hours' Initiative
In a clever move to combat rising living expenses, Tasmanians are leveraging a unique opportunity to access free electricity through Aurora Energy's innovative Power Hours program. This initiative allows residents to significantly reduce their household energy costs by scheduling usage during designated free periods.
How Power Hours Work for Household Savings
Energy-conscious locals are logging into the aurora+ app to participate in Power Hours, where Aurora Energy provides electricity at no cost statewide. According to Aurora Energy Chief Customer Officer Will Barbour, approximately 100,000 Tasmanians are already benefiting from these savings.
"Power Hours are regular events that deliver free electricity through the app," Barbour explains. "There's no cost for residential customers to sign up—just log in, select your timeslot, and any electricity used during that period is free."
Many households are maximizing these free hours by running multiple loads of laundry, using ovens for cooking, and charging power tools. This strategic approach helps stretch budgets during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Electric Vehicle Owners Reap Major Benefits
The program proves especially advantageous for electric vehicle (EV) owners. With fuel prices soaring, EVs are gaining popularity, and Power Hours offer a savvy method to charge them without incurring extra costs. Barbour notes a surge in customer inquiries about EVs, prompting Aurora Energy to create the Generation You online hub.
This resource provides practical, easy-to-understand information across six categories, including "The Charger," dedicated to EV charging. It covers topics from Tasmania's expanding EV charging network to differences between in-home charging units and installation tips.
Optimizing Energy Plans for Greater Savings
Aurora Energy also recommends the Tariff 93 plan, which features peak and off-peak rates to make EV powering convenient and affordable. Off-peak rates are more than 50 percent cheaper than peak rates and are available 73 percent of the week, including all weekends and overnight from 9 p.m.
"Energy is an essential household service, but it's becoming increasingly complex," Barbour states. "Generation You delivers on our purpose of making energy easy for people to understand."
He emphasizes that combining the right electricity plan with time-of-use tariffs, such as charging during off-peak times and Power Hours, can lead to substantial household savings with EVs.
Winter Warmers Extension and Smart Appliance Use
Due to Tasmania's climate, electricity usage spikes in winter. To address this, Aurora Energy is extending Power Hours with weekly Winter Warmers to prevent bill shock. "Customers really love it," Barbour says. "Tasmanians who plan to make the most of their Power Hours are seeing the benefits."
Consistently logging on and selecting Power Hours events allows people to accumulate significant savings over time. The Generation You hub's "The Smarter" category encourages sensible appliance use, such as timing dishwashers or utilizing heat pumps during off-peak electricity periods.
"The information in Generation You seeks to help Tasmanians understand some of those savings and create little habits that can make a significant difference over a year," Barbour concludes.
