26 February 2024
The Greens will raise bringing back ETSA in State Parliament next week as new analysis reveals some Australian households are being charged $1000 a year more than big businesses to use the same amount of electricity.
Analysis of half yearly results by The Australia Institute found that the cost of energy for AGL customers jumped by $100 a megawatt hour but for big business it has gone up by just $30. Origin Energy increased residential bills by $72.30 a megawatt hour but business saw only a $4.10 increase.[1]
“South Australians are being hard hit by skyrocketing electricity prices”, said Greens SA Energy Spokesperson Robert Simms MLC.
“This blatant price gouging is just another example of how the privatisation of electricity has utterly failed our state.”
“The Government must consider re-establishing ETSA as a publicly owned statutory authority that could operate reliably for the benefit of consumers, not shareholders. With so many South Australians struggling with the rising cost of living, it’s vital the Government acts now”, said Mr Simms.
[1] https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/households-charged-1000-more-a-year-than-big-business-for-exactly-the-same-amount-of-electricity/news-story/7e01ceb47d70f9fa88403a2779e7a27c