The Albanese Labor Government’s expansion of taxpayer-funded solar subsidies for businesses could add up to $12 to each household’s energy bills per year, secret government documents reveal. 

According to a letter from Energy Minister Chris Bowen to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, obtained by the Opposition under Freedom of Information laws, the Government’s decision to incorporate mid-scale solar into the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES), announced by Chris Bowen on 5 August, could lead to a “potential cost pass-through to reach $10-12 per annum.”

The letter states that “compliance costs of the SRES are recovered through the electricity market participants,” and that incorporating mid-scale solar into the SRES will “moderate” any decline in compliance costs. 

The SRES is the same umbrella program through which Labor is delivering their unsafe and unaffordable Cheaper Home Batteries Program, which Labor has allowed to be infiltrated by fraudsters.

In July, it was revealed that the household battery program had blown out from $2.3 billion to $8.5 billion because Chris Bowen’s Department had failed to account for households choosing to install higher average battery sizes than expected.

The SRES is not means tested.

Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Dan Tehan said Chris Bowen was heaping more power bill pain onto households during a cost of living crisis.

“Australian households are set to pay even more on their energy bills because of Labor’s obsession with Net Zero,” Mr Tehan said.

“Forcing households to pay up to $12 more on their energy bills so that an otherwise profitable business can install solar panels is unfair.

“This is just the latest hit on families, with Labor still pushing ahead with its plan to force households to also pay more on their energy bills to fund the rollout of EV chargers.”

ENDS

Media contact: Phil Connole M | 0417 063 605