As electricity prices continue to rise, more and more Australians are struggling to pay their bills. A recent Ernst & Young survey found that 1 in 8 Australians have missed a power bill payment date because they can’t afford it.

The news only gets worse – more than one in ten of us have missed three payments! 70% of people often or occasionally worry about how they are going to afford their next bill. Financial constraints are always a stressor in the world we live in today but one in ten say that energy bills in particular are their number one stressor.

Ernst & Young surveyed over 649 households in Victoria, NSW and Queensland. Many have tried or want to try and switch energy retailers but find the process too complicated and difficult. E & Y found that customers are increasingly looking to switch retailers and looking for a better deal – 48% searched for information however 42% found it too hard and gave up.

A massive 90% of Australians have solar power systems installed or would like to install solar power. Of those surveyed, 19% already had solar panels installed, 34% have already considered doing so and 36% have not yet considered doing so but would in the future.

Another main consensus is that people would pay more for a better service. Mainly small things like receiving sms reminders when bills are due, being able to pay monthly or select billing dates. Alternatively, discounts for paying early.

Electricity companies have gold plated our networks unnecessarily and charging us more for it. Most would like some simple courtesy gestures from our electricity retailers and some reasons to trust them.

Solar power can take some of the stress off and reduce worry. With no deposit, interest free finance now available, installing solar power is more affordable than ever before.

The full Ernst & Young survey can be viewed here.