{"id":105255,"date":"2025-08-11T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/?p=105255"},"modified":"2025-08-11T15:59:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T05:59:11","slug":"rising-energy-costs-australians-to-choose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/rising-energy-costs-australians-to-choose\/","title":{"rendered":"Rising Energy Costs Force Australians to Choose Between Warmth and Survival This Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Millions of Australians are facing a stark choice this winter: keep their homes warm or keep their energy bills manageable. New research from the free comparison website Finder<\/strong><\/a> reveals that a significant portion of the population is enduring cold indoor conditions to avoid spiralling costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The issue underscores the impact of rising household expenses on daily life, with heating costs becoming a major source of financial stress. It also highlights the wider implications for public health, particularly among vulnerable groups such as older Australians and young children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More Households Shivering Through Winter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Finder\u2019s latest survey, one in eight Australians admit they live in a cold home \u201call the time\u201d during winter to avoid high heating costs. More than a quarter say they limit heater use as much as possible despite low temperatures. The figures follow the company\u2019s Consumer Sentiment Tracker from July 2025, which reported that 29 percent of respondents named their energy bill as one of their top three most stressful expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The financial burden has grown noticeably in recent years. Australians reported spending an average of $374<\/strong> on their quarterly energy bill in July 2025 \u2013 a 13 percent increase from $331<\/strong> in July 2022. According to Finder\u2019s energy expert Mariam Gabaji<\/strong><\/a>, \u201cEnergy prices have risen sharply, and it\u2019s pushing people into impossible decisions \u2013 like choosing between heating and putting food on the table.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gabaji also warned that \u201cgoing cold all winter isn\u2019t just uncomfortable \u2013 it can be dangerous, especially for elderly Australians and young children.\u201d For some households, she added, the situation forces them into debt simply to maintain basic energy needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interestingly, around one in five Australians say they do not require heating at all due to their local climate. Yet for the remainder, winter has become a season of difficult compromises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practical Measures to Manage Costs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Finder\u2019s research also outlined practical steps to help households cut energy bills <\/a>without sacrificing comfort. Adjusting thermostat settings between 18\u00b0C and 20\u00b0C<\/strong> and programming heating schedules can help reduce usage. For smaller spaces, ceramic heaters offer efficient spot heating, while closing doors to unused rooms can further conserve warmth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other measures focus on reducing heat loss. Closing curtains and blinds before sunset traps warmth indoors, while opening them during sunny days allows for natural solar heating. Using rugs can insulate floors, and sealing gaps around windows and doors prevents cold air from entering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gabaji also pointed out that rebates are available in some states for those upgrading to more energy-efficient appliances. These incentives, combined with behavioural adjustments, can ease the financial strain on households facing rising costs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Across Australia, the rising cost of energy is pushing households to the brink. New research reveals that many are enduring cold homes just to keep bills under control, with heating now a luxury for some. For vulnerable Australians, the choice between comfort and cost is becoming a dangerous winter reality. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":105257,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-105255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-weather","category-energy","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105255","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105255"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105255\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105258,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105255\/revisions\/105258"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/105257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105255"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105255"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}