The Mildura resident believes her monthly bill was so high because she had been using the air-con when temperatures where over 40C. (Source: Supplied\/Instagram) <\/p>\n
Australians have been sweltering through high temperatures<\/a> this summer, with Victorian temperatures<\/a> soaring to the highest levels ever recorded at 48.9C this week. The extreme weather<\/a> means running the air-conditioner is a necessity, not a luxury, for most residents \u2013 but it can come at an exorbitant price<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mildura resident Laureena Mierswa-Wilkinson was taken aback this week to receive a nearly $700 electricity bill<\/a> for the month, covering mid-December to mid-January. She told Yahoo Finance it covered the weeks where temperatures were consistently above 40C and she and her husband had been running the air-con to stay cool<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI was shocked. We haven’t had a bill that high before. I was pretty shocked by it being nearly $700 for one month,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n RELATED<\/p>\n The couple\u2019s bills are usually between $120 and $170 a month, but over the last few weeks, they had been running the air-con<\/a> when they were home from work during most of the morning and in the evening.<\/p>\n Mierswa-Wilkinson believes the bill is accurate, given the couple\u2019s high energy usage for the month and the rates they are on. Looking at her bill, some days were costing $40 when they had the air-con running.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was just the heat. You can turn off all your lights and your appliances, but when it\u2019s 40 degrees, you don\u2019t have a choice. You\u2019ve got to have the air-con on, or you suffer,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Mildura<\/a>, a regional city in Victoria\u2019s north-west, recorded the hottest day in its history at 48.6C on Tuesday. Temperatures are forecast to remain above 40C until at least Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re still only in January and February is typically the hottest month in Mildura, so we\u2019ll probably get some more long stints that are above 40C,\u201d Mierswa-Wilkinson said.<\/p>\n High energy costs mean some Aussies are being confronted with a devastating choice.<\/p>\n A recent survey by Everybody\u2019s Home, a group which campaigns for housing availability, found two in five respondents had gone without essentials such as food or medical care to afford energy bills, with people describing choosing between running the air-con or buying groceries, or sitting in the stifling heat because they are worried about their next bill.<\/p>\n Half of those surveyed also reported cutting back on their energy use<\/a>, including heating and cooling, in the past year to cope with housing costs.<\/p>\n Story Continues <\/p>\n Mierswa-Wilkinson said everyday working-class people were simply not able to keep up with the rising cost of living<\/a>, with staying cool in the heat now becoming a “luxury”.<\/p>\n Do you have a story to share? Contact tamika.seeto@yahooinc.com<\/a><\/p>\n She and her husband are looking for ways to lower their next electricity bill, including comparing plans and setting the air-con, when it is on, to a higher temperature.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, if that means you might have to suffer a little bit to be able to keep up with the cost of paying electricity, then that\u2019s what you\u2019re going to have to do if you\u2019re not in a position to be able to afford that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t afford $700 a month ongoing. It\u2019s just not sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n Finder utilities expert Mariam Gabaji told Yahoo Finance many Australians would be facing higher electricity bills<\/a> than usual due to the recent hot weather and heatwaves.<\/p>\n \u201cHeating and cooling can account for 40 to 50 per cent of your energy bill,” she said, including when all your other appliances are running at the same time.<\/p>\n Gabaji urged people struggling with their bills to reach out to their electricity provider for support<\/a>, as they may offer payment assistance.<\/p>\n She also recommended checking if you were eligible for any government rebates or concessions<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is unfortunate and it\u2019s something that a lot of Australians are grappling with during the summer, now that it\u2019s getting even hotter,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n It may also be possible to reduce your costs by doing things around the house like sealing up any draughts, Gabaji said, making sure the filters on your air conditioners are cleaned out and setting it at a higher temperature.<\/p>\n Comparing energy plans can also be worthwhile, with energy providers now required to prominently display on your bill how much you could save by changing to their cheapest plan roughly every three months.<\/p>\n Mierswa-Wilkinson said she\u2019d like to see more transparency around energy pricing and support for regional communities during heatwaves, as they often have limited options.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to be comfortable and not suffer,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re fortunate enough to live in a country where you\u2019d think that having air-con would just be part of everyday life, but unfortunately, it\u2019s not the case anymore.”<\/p>\n Get the latest Yahoo Finance news – follow us on Facebook<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mildura resident Laureena Mierswa-Wilkinson says many people are now choosing to swelter through stifling temperatures to avoid big energy bills. (Source: Supplied\/Weather Zone) <\/p>\n