SPARKS flew when Tamworth’s Terrie Holz and Peter (Solar) Panel met on the most romantic day of the year to be married in Melbourne.
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Ms Holz won a zany competition to find the householder with the most massive increase in her electricity bills with EnergyMatters.com.au and the prize to have solar panels installed on her home after being named a winner.
As part of her win she also had a commitment ceremony with a solar panel on Valentine’s Day in Melbourne.
The commitment ceremony was a protest at the bad treatment she received from her electricity company, Origin Energy.
Since moving from a five-bedroom house in Toowoomba six years ago to her four-bedroom Tamworth house, Ms Holz claims her bill has skyrocketed by 569 per cent ($130/quarter to $870/quarter).
Being on a single parent’s pension, the mother of four who works part-time as a mental health consultant, did not receive the discounts or rebates she was entitled to by her energy supplier, but caught them out on it.
Labelled as Australia’s most “cheated on” electricity user, Ms Holz’s unconventional commitment ceremony was officiated by celebrity marriage celebrant, Perfect Match’s host Greg Evans, in the shadows of the Essential Services Commission of Victoria, the governing body that regulates electricity prices.
Ms Holz wore a veil for the ceremony and her future husband, Peter (Solar) Panel, was complete with a face, tux and bow tie.
The couple had only had a “brief encounter” before they wed and there will be no honeymoon. They spent just a few hours together before Ms Holz flew home.
“He comes with a 25-year commitment guarantee, which is better than most marriages I know,” she said.
“It will mean free energy from the sun and solar panels installed on my home in Tamworth. I also get a certificate of commitment and a solar ring.”
The happy couple were committed in a beautiful setting at Parliament Park in Victoria on what Ms Holz said was a gorgeous day – and it was the most romantic day of the year, so a perfect day for a wedding.
“Free electricity is better than a dozen roses,” she said.
“I was married once, but he didn’t come with a 25-year commitment.”
EnergyMatters.com.au solar expert Nick Brass said Australians were being held to ransom by electricity companies.
“Terrie is just the tip of the iceberg; as a nation we have watched our electricity bills skyrocket to unprecedented levels,” he said.
“We’ve held our protest in the shadows ofthe Essential Services Commission of Victoria because these guys and their interstate counterparts have the power to encourage lower prices.”