John McCluskey

There’s been a lot of talk about an energy crisis. In fact, there has been one in Europe (which we’ve written about), so it was only a matter of time before the impact hit Australia. At the same time, you can’t look anywhere or do anything without being painfully aware of the rising cost of… Read More

The cost of electricity and gas has become a significant election issue, as both major parties take potshots at each other over the rising cost of living. You won’t be surprised to know that we spend a lot of our time thinking about the cost of energy in Australia – and not only at election… Read More

In the good old days, most households had less than a dozen appliances that used electricity at any time, including lights and heaters. Only a couple of them, like the fridge, were always on and they wouldn’t have used more than three or four at once. Those days are long gone, particularly for a family… Read More

Right now, much of the European Union (EU) is scrambling to locate and secure alternative energy supplies to one of its main long-term sources, Russian gas. Last year, around 40 per cent of Europe’s gas supply, some 155 billion cubic metres (BCM), came from Russia. As you can see in this graph (thanks to the… Read More

Let’s start with three things we know: 1/ Renewable sources are generating a lot of cheap electricity – particularly when the sun shines and the wind blows. 2/ The gentailers (generators who also sell energy) are shutting down their coal-fired power stations. 3/ Governments and private operators are investing in big battery storage systems. Now… Read More

Let’s start by saying we think it’s great that governments at all levels are conscious that energy prices have a significant impact on everyone. We often hear that they’re looking to keep downward pressure on energy prices. We know they are doing what they can to reduce the cost of electricity and gas to consumers,… Read More