Are you moving to Australia soon? Is your checklist ready for household utilities, internet and mobile (cell) phones? Here’s how to set them up in Australia
Utilities in Australia
If you are aiming to rent an accommodation, then your home utility bills (water, gas, electricity) might already be incorporated into your rent, or might be charged separately by your landlord. However, if you are intending to purchase a home which come with the household utility bills, then it’s important that you know your options.
Australia has numerous service providers to cater your energy and gas needs, including EnergyAustralia, Origin Energy, and AGL, with some providers servicing specific states only (e.g. ActewAGL offers residential energy to the ACT and NSW only).
If you are able to choose the provider, then it’s strongly recommended to compare their prices (taking into account their fees as well) to avail the optimum usage of energy and electricity.
Solar Power is yet another option that could be available to you. While, this is still a relatively emerging form of energy, but it’s still worth comparing for long-term benefits.
Different water companies serve across the different areas in Australia, so your choices are limited when it comes to which company supplies your water.
How much do utilities cost in Australia?
According to the recent Australia Immigration News, below are of statistics on household costs from recent years:
Overall household costs: Average weekly housing costs across the Australia was $223.
Energy bills: Typical household’s electricity will cost between $1500 and $2500 annually, which equates to approximately $4-$7 per day.
Electricity and gas: The annual cost of energy can jump from $560.79 per year (single occupant in a flat) to $3289.64 (family of four living in a house).
Mobile phone bill: Average household accumulates about $12 weekly in mobile phone charges.
Mobile Phone Plans
While moving to Australia, one would always bring their mobile phone, but you might want to consider purchasing a local SIM and a local phone plan. Depending on your needs, you have various options when it comes to mobile phone plans bundled with different ‘bonuses’ and offers. There are primarily three mobile networks, owned and operated by Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone which are GSM networks and offer 4G services. Among the three networks, Telstra has the best reputation, especially in regional areas.
Australia PR is fast transitioning into a digital future with a nation-wide plan to upgrade the fixed line telephone and internet network towards high-speed broadband. Many metropolitan cities can already access this broadband service, and most importantly you can utilize this with a suitable broadband/internet plan by Telstra and Optus.
Source: http://blog.abhinav.com/utilities-cellular-services-providers-in-australia/