THE Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of NSW is calling for submissions into an expected electricity price increase from July 1 this year.
IPART acknowledged the increase, on top of last year's 17 per cent rise, would hurt customers.
Alle Tesoriero, marketing director at Caringbah-based SolarSwitch, said the company was going gangbusters as power bills continued to increase.
"Everybody who rings up is shocked every time they open a bill and they want to do something about it," she said.
"This year will add over $300 to the average bill and the feedback is that it's going to hurt, which is why they are looking for options like solar electricity."
Mrs Tesoriero said the upfront rebate for installing solar electricity would reduce by $1000 if the system was not installed by June 30.
"The rebate for a 1.5 kilowatt system is [now] $2800 and most people are looking at [that] system as it is the 'best bang for buck', in terms of rebate," she said.
"If you're looking to cover your usage, most people would need a 3 to 4 kilowatt system but the way the rebate system works, the 1.5 kilowatt is best for most people."
She said the smaller system enabled users to cover daytime usage while taking electricity from the grid at night.
Mrs Tesoriero said most people would find the system paid for itself within four to five years, giving them free electricity for 20-plus years.
