Tasmanians Slash Power Bills with Aurora Energy's Free Electricity 'Power Hours'
In a clever response to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, Tasmanian households are discovering a powerful way to reduce their energy expenses. By leveraging Aurora Energy's innovative Power Hours program, residents are accessing completely free electricity for essential tasks like laundry, cooking, and even charging electric vehicles.
How the Power Hours Program Works
The process is remarkably straightforward. Customers simply log into the aurora+ app, where they can select from available timeslots during designated Power Hours events. Any electricity consumed during these periods comes at absolutely no cost to residential users. Aurora Energy Chief Customer Officer Will Barbour reports that approximately 100,000 Tasmanians are already taking advantage of these savings opportunities.
"Power Hours are regular events that deliver free electricity through our app," Barbour explains. "There's no cost for residential customers to sign up. They just need to log in, select their preferred timeslot, and any electricity used during that period is completely free."
Many households have developed strategic routines around these free electricity windows. "At home, we make sure we do a couple of loads of washing, use the oven, charge power tools, that sort of thing," Barbour shares, illustrating how families maximize the benefit.
Electric Vehicle Owners Reap Significant Benefits
The program proves particularly valuable for electric vehicle owners. With fuel prices continuing to climb, EVs represent an increasingly popular transportation choice, and Power Hours offer a smart solution for charging them economically.
Barbour notes growing customer interest in electric vehicles, which inspired Aurora Energy to create Generation You—an online information hub designed to make energy concepts accessible. One section, "The Charger," focuses specifically on EV charging, covering topics from Tasmania's expanding charging network to home installation advice.
"Energy is an essential household service, but it's becoming increasingly complex," Barbour states. "We have a role to help Tasmanians navigate that complexity. Generation You delivers on our purpose of making energy easy for people to understand."
Additional Savings Through Strategic Planning
Aurora Energy further supports cost-conscious consumers through Tariff 93, a recommended peak and off-peak plan that makes EV charging more affordable. Off-peak rates under this plan are more than 50 percent cheaper than peak rates and are available 73 percent of the week, including all weekend and overnight from 9 PM.
"Combined with the right electricity plan and time-of-use tariffs, such as charging at off-peak times and Power Hours, people can access big household savings with EVs," Barbour emphasizes.
Winter Expansion and Long-Term Habits
Recognizing that Tasmanians use more electricity during colder months, Aurora Energy has extended the Power Hours concept with weekly Winter Warmers events to prevent bill shock. "Customers really love it," Barbour observes. "Tasmanians who plan to make the most of their Power Hours are seeing the benefits."
The Generation You platform also includes "The Smarter" category, which helps consumers develop energy-efficient habits. This section offers practical advice on appliance usage, such as timing dishwashers to run during off-peak hours or optimizing heat pump efficiency.
"The information in Generation You seeks to help Tasmanians understand some of those savings and create those little habits that can make a significant difference over a year," Barbour concludes.
As electricity costs remain a concern for many households, Aurora Energy's Power Hours program demonstrates how strategic energy use, supported by educational resources and flexible pricing plans, can deliver meaningful financial relief for Tasmanian families.
