Many Australians will have access to plans with three hours of free power from July, but there’s a catch: you’ll need a smart meter. This means there will be a stampede of people after them in a few months time. Here’s why getting your old analog meter upgraded now is a good idea.

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Home electrification isn’t just the work of electricians, but also their natural enemy: the concreter. I’ve tried my hand at the dark arts of concreting over the years, and found that some jobs are about as painful as beating your head against a cement wall.

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From the federal battery rebate frenzy to retail giants flexing their muscles in the solar market, it has been a game-changing year for home electrification in Australia. Here’s a rundown of our biggest stories across 2025.

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Whether it is for a loved one obsessed with electrifying their home, someone struggling with high energy bills, or a Scrooge who roams their house switching off lights and appliances – here’s some gift ideas that will inject some Christmas joy into every billing cycle.

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Solar monitoring apps are supposed to make life easier for home energy management. But when the user experience is dominated by constant crashes, confusing interfaces and inaccurate information, some apps only make things harder. Here’s a rundown of the worst reviewed solar monitoring apps available in Australia.

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Want to get maximum value out of your solar and battery system? You’ll need a good solar monitoring solution. Here’s a rundown on the top-rated solar monitoring apps available in Australia.

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Solar and batteries are great. But they’re not a get-out-of-jail card for bad houses.

Today I saw someone ask online:

“Should I spend $20k on double glazing or $20k on solar + battery and run the air-con 24/7 when necessary?”

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A few years ago I was invited to an “energy roundtable” hosted by the South Australian government. The idea was we’d all sit around and hatch some big ideas to push the energy transition forward. This was peak excitement in SA – Elon had recently cut the ribbon on the Big Battery in Jamestown.

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I used to worship efficiency. For years as a control systems engineer, I sweated over fractions of a percent, shaving seconds off processes and optimising production lines.

Now I look around and realise: efficiency is dead. Killed by cheap solar and ever-cheaper batteries.

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An initiative offering Tasmanians interest-free loans to invest in energy efficiency measures such as solar panels and batteries has finished up a little ahead of schedule. So, what’s left in the state’s home electrification incentive cupboard? [Read more…]