Independent editorial
NSW’s VPP incentive drops the 12-month requirement. Check your contract anyway.
The scheme has changed. Your provider’s agreement still needs a proper read, especially the bits about leaving and who controls your stored energy.
TechManPat editorial
The week in Australian tech, made useful.
Topical explainers, practical analysis and informed opinion covering the technology Australians use and the things Compare helps them choose.
Latest
From the editorial desk.
71 published · covering 12 editorial topics
Independent editorial
Victoria's free midday power starts in October. Will it actually cut your bill?
Three free hours sound hard to turn down. The answer depends on what you can run between 11 am and 2 pm, and what you pay for the rest of the day.
Independent editorial
Tesla Electric is coming for your power bill. Could it shake up Australia’s energy market?
I’m excited to see Tesla competing for the household electricity bill. The opportunity is bigger than a new app, but the plan still needs to earn its place on price.
Independent editorial
AI data centres could consume 13% of Australia’s eastern power grid. Will households end up paying for them?
The power required by Australia’s data-centre boom could grow almost sevenfold in a decade. The operators will pay enormous electricity bills, but that does not automatically protect ordinary customers from every network and wholesale cost they create.
Independent editorial
Why can’t Australian renters plug a solar panel into the wall? The $1,000 technology now legal in the UK
Europe has turned a couple of solar panels and a wall plug into a small household power station. It sounds perfect for Australian renters, but buying one online does not make it legal or safe to connect here.
Browse all 71 articles by title
- ASUS Wi-Fi connected but no internet? Check this GT-AX6000 firmware fix.
- Sungrow’s PowerHarbour is coming to Melbourne. What does 120 kWh really mean?
- Fronius Reserva Pro: a bigger battery, but what backup do you actually get?
- Dreame’s Aqua20 promises 180°C steam and 10 cm climbing. Read the measurements.
- sonnenBatterie 12: built-in backup without replacing your existing solar?
- Hinen’s A15 is heading to Melbourne. Here’s what’s confirmed.
- GWM’s Cannon plug-in ute: check which price, range and safety rating apply.
- Fox ESS launches Power Cube in Australia. Read past the backup headline.
- ATMOCE’s battery warranty is now 15 years. What does the fine print cover?
- Costco’s getting a robot mower. Is the ANTHBOT Genie 600E right for your lawn?
- NSW’s VPP incentive drops the 12-month requirement. Check your contract anyway.
- Leapmotor’s $29,990 electric SUV: what should you check before buying?
- Australia’s battery capacity is climbing. That doesn’t tell you what size to buy.
- Could your phone use another network in a black spot? What the ACCC is considering
- ALDI’s $499 pool robot arrives on 24 October. Here’s what to check before buying
- Apple HomeView is coming to Australia for $449, and I’ve already pre-ordered one
- Australia’s new EV charging roadmap: what does it mean for drivers?
- Your NBN router still works. Is it still getting security updates?
- amaysim’s $50 NBN 500 deal: check the bill after month six
- Ampol wants to buy Evie. What changes for EV drivers?
- BYD’s $4,000 Sealion 7 cashback: check the delivery date before the deposit
- One Neovolt battery is eligible again. Check the label before booking installation.
- TP-Link's $1,499 Wi-Fi 8 router: what are you actually buying today?
- MG4 Urban 43 vs 54: is the bigger battery worth another $3,000?
- GOKO M6: what should Australians check before buying a $4,000 robot mower?
- Tesla’s $45,900 Model 3: what do you give up to save $9,000?
- Dodo’s Autopilot could cut your NBN bill. What should you check first?
- Own a Tapo C120 or C200? Check your camera’s firmware
- Amber opens V2G to the BYD Sealion 7. Is your driveway ready?
- NBN will drop the faster-plan rule for FTTN fibre upgrades. Should you wait until March?
- Queensland has eased its EV charger rules. Ask for a fresh installation quote
- Figure melted its old robots with Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Solar and batteries for social housing: can renters finally share in cheaper electricity?
- Victoria's free midday power starts in October. Will it actually cut your bill?
- Will your solar, battery and EV charger actually work together?
- MOVA V70 Ultra Complete costs $3,299. Are longer cleaning arms worth the premium?
- High kilometres shouldn’t scare you off a used EV. The evidence is catching up.
- Tesla Electric is coming for your power bill. Could it shake up Australia’s energy market?
- Tesla FSD now gets Australian drivers cheaper insurance. Does the saving justify the subscription?
- Could going electric save you more than $5,000 a year? Yes, but the upfront cost matters
- Tesla's Roadster could make the supercar price tag much harder to justify
- Small business is outgrowing its internet. This is where the NBN gets exciting.
- Neovolt's battery identification failure is unacceptable. Customers deserve better.
- All Energy Australia 2026: the batteries, EV tech and smarter homes we're looking forward to seeing
- Almost one in four new cars sold in Australia is now electric. What should first-time buyers check?
- Your smart lights keep switching off while you're sitting still. Can Tapo's new radar sensor fix that?
- Robot mowers are finally tackling the edges. Can the Mammotion LUBA 4 replace your whipper snipper?
- ECOVACS X12S adds a physical camera cover. Should every robot vacuum have one?
- Wi-Fi 8 is already being announced. Should Australians still buy a Wi-Fi 7 router?
- Roborock is entering the pool. Should Australian buyers wait for the RockAqua P1?
- Do you really need two pool robots? Dolphin Skimmi vs Aiper EcoSurfer vs Beatbot iSkim
- NSW apartment batteries just became up to 40% cheaper. Can renters and strata actually access the rebate?
- Beatbot Sora 10 vs Sora 30 vs Sora 70: What do you actually get for the extra $1,300?
- Dolphin’s new EON pool robots have landed in Australia. Has cordless finally caught up?
- AI data centres could consume 13% of Australia’s eastern power grid. Will households end up paying for them?
- Why can’t Australian renters plug a solar panel into the wall? The $1,000 technology now legal in the UK
- Rural Australians are turning to Starlink after the 3G shutdown. Is satellite internet now essential?
- Australia wants smart glasses to blur every face automatically. Are camera glasses becoming socially unacceptable?
- Peugeot just cut $26,805 from its electric van. Is an EV finally practical for Australian tradies?
- 860,000 FTTC homes can now request full fibre without buying an expensive NBN plan. Should you upgrade?
- A Sydney lithium battery fire required a five-day response. Does that mean home batteries are unsafe?
- America just blacklisted foreign-made robot vacuums. Should Australian buyers be worried?
- The ACCC has stopped testing NBN speeds. How can Australians tell which provider is fastest now?
- Australians are buying more security cameras—but do they actually stop burglars?
- ECOVACS X11 OmniCyclone vs Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai: which premium robot cleaner should you buy?
- Should electricity networks be allowed to build EV chargers? The decision that could reshape public charging
- This Australian battery survived 60,000 cycles—but it isn’t replacing your Powerwall yet
- Electric cars just reached 21.7% of Australian new-car sales. Has the tipping point arrived?
- More Australians are now on NBN fibre than copper. Is your router ready?
- Australia’s robot mower war just got serious: Roborock and MOVA enter the backyard.
- Australia’s home battery rebate changed in 2026. Here’s what the new size tiers actually mean.
01
Independent by default.
Editorial judgement and recommendations stay separate from commercial relationships.
02
Sponsored means labelled.
A brand-funded story carries a prominent sponsored-editorial disclosure at the top—not a faint footnote.
03
Sources you can open.
Important claims link to primary sources, with publication and update dates shown clearly.