At a time of great economic uncertainty, whilst consumers are feeling squeezed by high mortgage interest rates, petrol and food prices, it will be a welcome relief to many to have the opportunity to make significant savings on their energy bills.
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (PRWEB) October 13, 2008
In a major breakthrough for Victorian consumers, independent service group switchwise.com.au today announced the launch of an online service that allows users to easily compare electricity and gas prices and switch suppliers over the internet.
The switchwise.com.au service enables consumers to quickly, easily and accurately compare energy offers from a variety of suppliers and then switch online if they find a better deal.
Since the introduction of retail energy competition in Victoria in 2002, approximately 60% of Victorian households have changed their electricity supplier*. This makes Victoria the most active energy switching market in the world. However, Victorians are not switching wisely -- research shows that 47% of Victorians switched supplier based solely on information provided by the retailer, either at their front door, over the phone or by mail, and almost one-quarter of consumers switched without any information at all!
In launching the service, switchwise.com.au founder Shaun Johnson said that an average Victorian household could save up to $203** on their yearly combined electricity and gas bills by switching to a cheaper supplier using Switchwise. "At a time of great economic uncertainty, whilst consumers are feeling squeezed by high mortgage interest rates, petrol and food prices, it will be a welcome relief to many to have the opportunity to make significant savings on their energy bills."
switchwise.com.au is a free, unbiased and independent electricity and gas price comparison and supplier switching service for Australian consumers. switchwise.com.au was created to help untangle the complex web of energy pricing and to assist consumers to select the right electricity and gas plans for their homes. switchwise.com.au is currently available to Victorian households and will be extended to other States and Territories of Australia shortly.
switchwise.com.au has developed a sophisticated calculator that uses the consumer's suburb and energy use to determine the costs and savings of each energy plan available. Detailed information about each plan, such as price, payment methods and terms and conditions is provided. If they choose to, consumers can switch supplier online or phone us directly on 1300 867 948.
Notes to Editors
*Research data sourced from AEMC - Review of Competition in the Gas and Electricity Retail Markets - AEMC 0702 - Consumer Research Report, August 2007
**Savings calculation shows first year's savings based upon the difference between regulated retail tariffs in Victoria and cheapest plans available through switchwise.com.au assuming that the average family has both gas and electricity in their home and consumes 6500 kWh of electricity (all peak) and 60 GJ of gas per year. Savings levels vary depending upon each customer's suburb, meter type and actual usage.
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