Richard Szabo

Richard Szabo Richard Szabo was Canstar Blue's Senior Energy Specialist. He reported on electricity, solar and gas news, and completed reviews and how-to articles. Richard has 18 years' experience as an award-winning journalist, editor, marketing manager and content director for some of Australasia's leading media companies including News Limited, Business News Australia, iSentia, APRS Media and Wade Business Media.


Power sub station

What happens if your energy company goes out of business?

Posted by September 13th 2024

How likely is it that my energy company will go under? Overall, states and territories within the National Electricity Market, or NEM (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, the Australian Capitial Territory and Tasmania), have …


Mature age couple reading energy bills at table

Types of energy plans explained

Posted by September 12th 2024

Shortlisting the right energy deal for households can seem overwhelming, especially when hundreds of plans are on offer. Understanding what kind of contracts, tariffs, fees, charges and options are available can help identify which option …


Fronius Solar Batteries and Inverters

Expert Guide: Fronius Review and Ratings

Posted by September 10th 2024

Canstar Blue reviews the Austrian brand Fronius so you can feel confident about choosing the right solar storage system for your home.


sonnenBatterie review and ratings

Posted by September 12th 2024

Solar storage company sonnen recently joined other solar battery retailers in Australia in introducing the sonnenBatterie. The German-headquartered business' solar storage system has attracted much interest from Australians who wish to maximise their solar panels, and …


Enphase Batteries Solar

Enphase Energy: Review and Ratings

Posted by September 9th 2024

Enphase Energy is a US-based solar power company, specialising in batteries and inverters, as well as other energy storage solutions.


Solar pool pump: Everything you need to know

Posted by August 20th 2024

A new backyard swimming pool can significantly increase quality of life, especially during the hotter months. However, once house guests depart, cabana huts are cleaned and the pool area is vacant the focus eventually shifts …


Solar Power Swimming Pool

Can you run a swimming pool on solar power?

Posted by August 15th 2024

Fortunately, paying between 30 and 50 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) for electricity is not necessary. Solar panels can do the same for as little as 5 cents per kWh. Canstar Blue reveals some simple …


Row of solar panels

Solar panels not working? 6 common solar problems

Posted by August 30th 2024

Determining what causes solar systems to malfunction can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint, even when there are warning signs. Fortunately some problems surface more often than others which can be useful to remember for when …


camping solar panel

Solar panels for camping

Posted by August 9th 2024

In this report, Canstar Blue discusses different environmentally friendly ways to both connect with nature and enjoy as many safety tools and creature comforts as needed. There is something unique about disconnecting from seemingly endless responsibilities, …