akan membantu anda bertutur, memahami dan berkomunikasi di Australia –
Episode kali ini sesuai untuk pelajar peringkat pertengahan. Setelah mendengar episode ini, sila uji pengetahuan anda melalui kuiz yang kami sediakan.
Nota pengajian
Objektif pelajaran Bahasa Inggeris
Petua untuk berbincang tentang penjimatan bil elektrik di rumah anda.
Ungkapan berguna dalam perbincangan mengenai penjimatan bil elektrik
- My electricity bill was through the roof last month because they raised electricity rates. - Bil elektrik saya melambung tinggi bulan lalu akibat kenaikan kadar caj untuk pengguna domestik.
- Electricity will cost a pretty penny this month. - Kos penggunaan elektrik pastinya tinggi bulan ini.
- My kids are cranking up the heater every day. - Anak-anak saya mengguna mesin pemanas sepenuhnya setiap hari.
- I set the thermostat between 18-20 degrees. - Saya tetapkan termostat di antara 18-20 darjah Celsius
- I read somewhere that every degree above 20 adds 10% to the electricity bill. - Saya ada membaca artikel yang mengatakan setiap kenaikan satu darjah Celsius melebihi 20 darjah Celsius menyebabkan kenaikan bil elektrik setinggi 10%.
- Hopefully, I don’t blow a fuse again once I see next month’s bill. - Harapnya saya tak meletup lagilah bila tengok bil elektrik bulan ini.
Useful phrases when talking to an energy provider about energy plans
- I’d like to enquire about switching to a new energy plan. - Saya ingin ketahui maklumat lanjut bagaimana untuk menukar kepada pelan bekalan elektrik yang baru.
- One option is you can bundle your electricity and gas. - Satu pilihan ialah dengan menyatukan bil elektrik dan gas anda.
- What if we had solar panels installed? - Bagaimana pula sekiranya kami menukar kepada bekalan elektrik melalui pemasangan panel solar?
- The initial investment is a bit steep, but we’ve been considering running the house on solar energy to cut costs. - Pembayaran permulaan mungkin agak tinggi namum kami mempertimbangkan penggunaan kuasa solar atau kuasa matahari untuk mengurangkan bil elektrik.
Ungkapan kolokial:
When something is through the roof, it means it rises to a very high level. The price of petrol is through the roof. - Terlalu tinggi
When something costs a pretty penny, it means it is very expensive. The diamond necklace she bought cost a pretty penny. - Kos yang agak tinggi
To crank up means to turn something on and increase the volume, temperature, or output of something. He cranked up the volume of the TV. - Menaik atau meninggikan tahap sesuatu pengeluaran.
A light-bulb moment is a moment of inspiration. I had a light-bulb moment when I heard him talk about his business. - Terlintas di fikiran
To blow a fuse means to get angry. He blew a fuse when she failed to show up for the meeting. - Naik marah
To run on (something) means to be powered by it. The car runs on fuel. - Dikuasai oleh
To cut (costs) means to reduce (costs). In order to cut costs, he stopped ordering takeaways. - Mengurangkan kos
Vocabulary:
Electricity bill – A document that shows the amount of energy you’ve used for a given amount of time and its cost
Electricity rates – The cost of each kilowatt (unit of electricity) per hour
Thermostat – An automatic device for regulating temperature
Celsius – The scale of temperature we use in Australia
To switch – To change one thing for another
Energy consumption (or usage) – Amount of energy or power used
To bundle – To group together
Pay-on-time discount – A discount given when you pay your bill before or on the due date
Investment – Something you own or spend on that will eventually generate income or increase in value
Steep – Excessively expensive
Green energy – Energy that comes from natural resources such as the sun or the wind
Eligible – To have the right to do or get something
Solar feed-in tariff – What you can earn back on your electricity bill when your solar energy generates more power than what your household uses
Cultural information:
Di wilayah ACT, NSW, Queensland, South Australia dan Tasmania, hak pengguna dipantau oleh Rangkaian Pengguna Bekalan Kuasa Kebangsaan atau . NECF menyenaraikan perlindungan yang dihulur kepada semua pengguna bekalan tenaga di wilayah dan negeri terbabit. Di NT, Victoria dan WA pula, perundangan tempatan menghulurkan bantuan kepada setiap pengguna di kawasan terbabit.
Antara kaedah mengurangkan penggunaan elektrik termasuk mengurangkan penggunaan air panas serta mengguna peralatan elektrik serta alat hawa dingin dan pemanas dengan cermat.
Transcript:
(Learning English helps me save on electricity.)
Hi! This is the SBS Learn English podcast, where we help Australians to speak, understand and connect.
My name is Nikki and, like you, I’m learning new English phrases and words every day.
Today, we are practising phrases you can use when you are talking about saving on electricity and talking with your energy provider about different plans – that is, the way you buy your electricity.
Let’s listen in on a conversation between friends Maryanne and Allan about their electricity bills.
Maryanne:
My electricity bill was through the roof last month because the costs just went up.
Allan:
Ah, mine too! Electricity will cost a pretty penny this month as well. My kids are cranking up the heater every day.
Maryanne:
You know what I do to save on heating? I set the thermostat between 18-20 degrees Celsius. I read somewhere that every degree above 20 adds 10% to the electricity bill.
Allan:
Light-bulb moment! That’s a good tip! I’ll give that a try. Perhaps I won’t blow a fuse again once I see next month’s bill.
What interesting phrases to use, right? Let’s take a closer look at Maryanne and Allan’s conversation.
Maryanne said,
My electricity bill was through the roof last month because the costs just went up.
An electricity bill is a document that outlines the amount of power you've used over a particular length of time and how much it costs.
You can pay for your bill monthly, meaning every month, or quarterly, meaning every three months.
When the cost of something has gone "through the roof" it means that it has risen to a very high level. For example: "The price of meat has gone through the roof!". You can also use it to talk about other numbers that have risen, for example: "Sales of summer dresses have gone through the roof since the sun came out."
Allan agreed with Maryanne and replied,
Ah, mine too! My electricity will cost a pretty penny this month as well.
When something "costs a pretty penny", it means that it is very expensive. We can use this informal phrase to talk about all kinds of things. For example: "His new car cost a pretty penny." Or: "The house they moved into cost a pretty penny."
Allan also said,
My kids are cranking up the heater every day.
To "crank something up" means to increase the volume, temperature or output of something. For example: "Crank up the volume on the TV. I can’t hear what the reporter is saying."
Maryanne replied, giving Allan a helpful tip,
I set the thermostat between 18-20 degrees Celsius.
A thermostat is a device that controls temperature automatically.
Celsius is the scale of temperature we use in Australia. In other countries, such as America, Fahrenheit is used.
Allan liked what Maryanne suggested and said,
Light-bulb moment!
A "light-bulb moment" is a moment when you suddenly understand something or have a very good idea. For example: "I had a light-bulb moment when I heard him talk about his business. I suddenly understood what I should do with my life."
Allan also said,
Perhaps I won't blow a fuse again once I see next month’s bill.
To "blow a fuse" means to get very angry. For example: "I’m worried she might blow a fuse when she finds out I left all the lights on in the house."
Another way to cut down on electricity costs is to ask your energy provider about the energy plans they offer, and then choose the best plan for your power needs.
Listen in on this conversation between Maryanne and Allan. This time, Maryanne is a customer who is calling her energy provider, and Allan is the customer service employee who answers her call.
Maryanne:Hi, I’d like to enquire about switching to a new energy plan. We’ve been very careful about our energy consumption, but our current bill is still quite high.
Allan:
Of course. One option is that you can bundle your electricity and gas, and that will save you $10 a month. You’re also eligible for a pay-on-time discount.
Maryanne:
I see. What if we had solar panels installed? The initial investment is a bit steep, but we’ve been considering running the house on solar energy to cut down on costs.
Allan:
Green energy is a good alternative as well. It might be better for the planet and you'll be eligible for a solar feed-in tariff.
Maryanne and Allan talked about some options so she can save on electricity costs.
Let’s hear them again. First, we had Maryanne,
Hi, I’d like to enquire about switching to a new energy plan.
Maryanne said she’d like to enquire about switching to a new energy plan.
To "switch" means to change one thing for another. For example: "I switched seats with my friend." Or: "I switched from coffee to tea."
Allan replied,
One option is that you can bundle your electricity and gas and that will save you $10 a month.
To "bundle" means to group things together. When you bundle certain services together and get them from one company, you can get a discount on fees. In this case, bundling together electricity and gas will save Maryanne $10 a month.
Allan also said,
You’re also eligible for a pay-on-time discount.
To "be eligible" means to have the right to do or get something. For example: "He is eligible to vote this year because he is 18 now." Or: "I am eligible to apply for a visa because I have been here long enough."
A "pay-on-time discount" is a discount you get on your bill when you pay it before or on the due date. The discount will vary depending on the energy provider.
Maryanne said,
The initial investment is a bit steep, but we’ve been considering running the house on solar energy to cut down on costs.
An investment is something you buy or do that will eventually make you money or reward you in some way. Examples of investments include a house, jewellery, a business, or even an education, because once you have paid for these things, they usually make you richer in some way.
When the cost of something is "steep", it means it is very expensive. For example: "Air fares are steep at the moment because there are so few flights."
To "run on" something means to be powered by it. For example: "This car runs on electricity."
Maryanne is considering running her house on solar energy.
Allan replied,
Green energy is a good alternative as well.
"Green energy" is energy that is made using natural resources, such as the sun or the wind.
Allan also said,
It will lower your usage and you will be eligible for a solar feed-in tariff.
When you make solar energy in your home, you can often earn money back from the electricity company if your solar energy generates more power than your household uses.
This is called a solar "feed-in tariff". This means that you both save and earn if you use solar energy.
Our guest today is Mandarin News anchor, Rena Li, and she will be sharing something that everyone will find useful – tips on how to save on energy costs.
Rena:One of the ways I save on energy is to use as little hot water as I can. Do you know that hot water makes up 25% of the average household bill? I try to reduce this by using cold water when I do the laundry and by taking short showers.
Nikki:
Ahh, I see. Do you have any tips when it comes to heating or cooling? I find that my bills are especially high when it's very hot or very cold like now during winter.
Rena:
I’m the same. So what I do is I keep the thermostat between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius during winter and 25 to 27 degrees Celsius during summer.
Nikki:That’s a good tip! What I’ve also found useful to do is to seal doors and windows to prevent cold air from getting into my house in winter. I do the same in summer, because if hot air gets in from outside, my cooling system has to work harder.
Rena:Yes, that will help a lot! Another really easy way to cut down your bill is to simply turn off your appliances at the wall when they are not in use.
Nikki:That’s easy! I hope these tips really do help me cut down on electricity costs, especially during these winter months.
Rena:
Yes, but if you find that you’re being charged for more than you've used, or if you are having problems with your energy provider, there are laws that protect you.
Nikki:
Yes! And I know one way to keep up to date with news on energy and everything else is to tune into .
Rena:
SBS WorldWatch features languages other than English, with a line-up of news bulletins from leading international broadcasters in more than 35 languages – including Mandarin, which I present for.
Nikki:That’s a great way to keep informed! Thank you so much for all the tips, Rena!
A big thank you to our educational consultant Professor Lynda Yates, our guest Rena Li, and Paul Nicholson and Coni Laranjeira who voiced the characters of Allan and Maryanne.
