Meet Margaret
Margaret has been living in her all electric home for 43 years. She has been a single mother for 32 years and still looks after grandchildren.
She was on the road with her partner around Australia and they just liked Bendigo and decided to settle here.
Her son helps mowing the grass as she is on an acre. Owning her own home is the key to surviving on a pension.
Since she had her new hip she can’t bring wood inside to the wood fire that used to heat the whole house.
Now she “puts a blanket on” and only turns on the other heater when she has too. Her winter power bills are around $500.
If she gets solar installed it will mean an end to skyrocketing power prices and she can afford to pay for some maintenance around the older home. She will be able to turn a heater on to stay warm.
Sometimes living on the pension is hard, so being able to have solar will help a lot with the budget and also being able to turn on electric appliances during the day while solar is generating the power.
Margaret is also happy that she will help with saving our environment.
Meet Rob and Michelle
Rob and Michelle have downsized their home and want to make their lives more sustainable by adding solar.
Michelle gives her time in an op shop two days a week and sees first-hand how many are struggling with bills and winter costs in particular.
Rob and Michelle’s winter energy bills are around $700.
They are also big believers in reducing and recycling.
Combined they have 13 grandchildren whom they spend a lot of time with. Michelle is an “expert op-shopper” and picks up lots of much needed clothing and other supplies for the grandkids including the likes of footy boots for each season – with 13 rapidly growing grandkids that is a lot of footy boots!
They also grow some of their own vegetables.
Rob and Michelle are very keen to get solar so that they can help the environment as well as be able to support themselves and the basic things they need as well as their children and grandchildren.
Getting solar will help them heat their house in winter and the savings they can use to assist the family and keep their budget safe from skyrocketing energy prices and rising home interest rates.