More power bill pain under Labor

Starting today Australian households will be hit with another round of higher electricity bills thanks to Chris Bowen’s ideologically driven renewables only agenda.

Millions of Australians will be paying more for their electricity, with some customers handing over an extra $300 through higher prices.

Labor’s promise that electricity prices would be $275 cheaper this year was a lie and Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen should apologise.

Instead, since Labor was elected, electricity prices across the National Energy Market increased by up to $1058 in New South Wales, $684 in Queensland and $747 in South Australia.

Prices are up to $1,300 more than what Labor promised they would be.

The Albanese Labor Government is acting like the cost-of-living crisis is over, but according to the most recent survey by Energy Consumers Australia, Australians are telling a different story:

• 81% are concerned about the cost of electricity
• 84% think their bills will increase over the next 12 months
• 64% don't think electricity pricing is "fair and reasonable"
• 40% have had difficulty paying a home energy bill in the last six months

More Australians are being forced onto hardship programs because they can’t pay their power bill, with the proportion of customers with an energy debt increasing and the average debt of customers also up over the last 12 months.

Minister Bowen’s ideological renewables only approach is disrupting the energy system and leading to higher electricity prices for Australian families.

There is no transparency about the true costs to consumers of Labor’s renewables only approach and underwriting renewable energy projects using taxpayer money.

The energy market regulator AEMO says costs for transmission line projects are up 25-55% and that “costs for electricity transmission network development would impact bills for electricity consumers”.

According to the government’s own Australian Energy Market Commission, “new generating plants do not earn enough money in energy sales to compensate for the investment costs”, which means taxpayers or customers will be paying more to deliver Minister Bowen’s ideologically driven renewables only agenda.

Australians want action to reduce carbon emissions but not at any cost.

Minister Bowen needs to answer the following questions:

• When will Australians get the $275 cut to their electricity bills that Labor promised?
• How much will Australians pay to deliver his ideologically driven renewables only agenda?
• For all the cost and pain Australians are enduring will the Government achieve the net zero by 2050 target?
• Will he promise to start properly consulting with all regional communities expected to host solar and wind farms, transmission lines and substations?

ENDS

Contact: phil.connole@aph.gov.au