Sky scraping energy bills have motivated utility companies to provide users with distinctive payment options and ingenious plans to untighten the burden of household budgets.

In line with the data furnished by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, between 2008 and 2014, there has been a significant increase in energy costs – 61 percent. On that account, providers are thinking of ways to diminish the shock associated with big energy bills. One of these options is locked-in energy contracts, which are similar to fixed-rate home loans.

Energy giant Origin adopted the concept and introduced it to existing customers. The agreement was to establish a particular sum of money, and the consumer would pay a fixed energy bill fortnightly, or once a month, however he/she prefers, regardless of the amount of energy one uses.

That leads us to the question – which are the current options available so that customers can cope better with their energy bills’ costs?

Energy Bill smoothing

That is a type of payment that should decrease the dreadful impact of energy bill time. Typically, it resumes to this: spreading the estimated cost of the energy bill for the next year, considering equal instalments. To put it roughly, that means one pays the same amount of money monthly. It goes without saying that the retailer will pay increased attention to possible alterations in energy usage. In case they occur, accurate payment adjustments are made.

Timely payment – direct debit

Possibly one of the simplest ways to save some money on energy bills is direct debit. For instance, Click Energy provides customers with attractive discounts for timely electronic payments. Other retailers provide you with small percentages off if you communicate your direct debit credit details, in this way ensuring that the payment is made right away.

Regular timing facilitated by direct debit payment permits customers to know the amount of time they have to pay for their energy bills.

A positive suggestion is opting for frequent billing cycles. That is helpful especially if you’re struggling with keeping up with your bills.

Payment extensions

Various retailers provide customers with automated payment extensions, nearly two weeks from the bill’s due date. By communicating to the retailer that you need some extra time, you are offered green light for an extension, free of charge.

Paper bills replacement

The growing costs associated with printing and bill posting has determined retailers to encourage customers to opt for electric bills. E-billing allows users to receive the bills in their inboxes and eliminate the charges.