



Straight answer. You're killing me.


I'm an unemployed father of 6. We receive no income apart from the family benefit tax A & B. Don't ask me why we don't get anything else, government decided to cut all the lump sums we used to get that paid our bills. Our small business puts food on the table. We spent all winter huddled in blankets. We run 2 computers each day, dealing with customers trying to make ends meet. We rent, we cannot have solar panels. My last bill was $850+. We're dying here.


I live in the Riverland where summer temperatures exceed 40c for days on end. We only have an evaporative airconditioner set to maximum temperature of 30c. I'm at the point where we're about to sell everything and go and live anywhere but a house because our costs are now bordering on absurd. I can now expect bills in excess of $1200 during a hot spell. We can't even pay our current "lived under a blanket" winter bill.


So it's time to get serious. If staying awake worrying about the impact on my family wasn't enough of a reason, I'm sick to death of the small print and I'm an intelligent man. It's no good telling me I can "save" with direct debit, I can't. No good telling me I can "pay on time" and get a discount, I can't get ahead of my current bill. (And seriously, if "direct debit" and "pay-on-time" make electricity cheaper it should stand that you're overcharging struggling customers - the least likely able to do so - and it has nothing to do with the cost of generation.  Shame on you.)


But, I digress. Here I am, I've just spent 2 hours looking at every retailer in Australia breaking down KwH costs, averaging usage, looking for discounts applicable, everything. Anything. The one seriously needed answer I could not find, underneath pages and pages of conditions, distributors, generators and deliberate obfuscation is at what time of the day CAN I expect cheaper power with an old 2 x reading meter in Barmera SA.


That's all. Simple. Easy. When can I run our washing machine for 6 kids? When should I not run our airconditioner? When can we cook a hot meal? Do I have "summer rate" or "winter rate"? Does "peak rate" apply between 4pm and 9pm at "1 Kwh" and above ad nauseum. I don't want to talk to anyone and be told a whole heap of nonsense because I'll either cry or scream at you.


I am an AGL customer. I don't care who generates. I don't care who distributes. I don't care if you have a CET, green windmills, downed powerlines or even who is in charge. 


I just want an answer. AT WHAT TIME CAN I GET CHEAP POWER? Barmera. SA. AGL. Nothing more, nothing less.


Thank you.


Re: Straight answer. You're killing me.

AGL Moderator

Hey stevo,


Thanks for reaching out. It sounds like the quality of our service when you've been making these enquiries has let you down, which we'd like to apologize for.


In relation to your enquiry, I can confirm that in South Australia there are no benefits in using more or less power at specific times of the day with your current meter type. This is due to the fact that only digital meters are capable of recording usage at specific times of the day, which are very few and far between in South Australia at present.


You can enquire about your eligibility for a digital meter by contact our digital metering team on 1300 669 245. If your meter was upgraded, you'd then have the option of opting in for a 'Time of Use' tariff, which would grant you the benefit of off peak times late at night, etc.


If there is anything further that I can do to assist, please don't hesitate to sing out!


Kind regards,




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