CITY’S POWER STRUGGLE
Geelong residents like Kevin Govenlock (pictured) are sick of the political point scoring — they just want the crippling gas and electricity bills to stop.
CASE STUDY 2 — KEVIN GOVENLOCK
KEVIN Govenlock has compared his energy bills with those from last year, and knows he’s paying more. But the 80-year-old Marshall resident also knows it has been the steady climb of gas and electricity prices that have seen them put pressure on his neighbours at the Geelong Grove Retirement Village. “It’s getting tougher,” he said. “We get hit with a double whammy here in the Village because we’ve got to pay for the power of the community centre and the lighting, so it’s not just our own domestic power. “There are quite a few in here who are doing it solely on the pension.” Even paying to keep the lights on in the evening had become a tough decision for the hardest hit at the Village. “We’ve got friends who don’t put their lights on at night and aren’t running heating, they might run it for half an hour and that would be it for the day. They really had to cut back on that,” Mr Govenlock said.
“When you’re talking that the average age here in the village is 84, the risk of falling and tripping and all that is huge.”
The prospect of a hot summer with limited airconditioning caused residents the most stress, Mr Govenlock said.
“The thing that affects us most is the ongoing talk about cuts to power in the summer,” he said.
“So what happens then if we get an extremely hot day and there’s no airconditioning? That’s a big discussion point in the village. It is causing stress.”
“I’m at a point now where I use as little gas as possible, I certainly don’t use my heater because it’s just too expensive. If I’m ill and I can’t work I won’t be able to afford to pay my bills. Come summer what do I do? Do I say ‘no, I’m not going to use my aircon or my electricity’?”
CASE STUDY 1 — JAN JOHNSON
IF Jan Johnson falls sick, she won’t be able to afford her energy bills.
The Armstrong Creek 59-year-old, pictured left, has retired from her career and is now working part time, but is anxious about how she will afford to pay her bills in coming months and years.
“I didn’t realise how much of a luxury the service of electricity and gas was until I actually retired and had to think about how much money I was putting in to these bills,” Ms Johnson said.
“I’m at a point now where I use as little gas as possible, I certainly don’t use my heater because it’s just too expensive. If I’m ill and I can’t work I won’t be able to afford to pay my bills. Come summer what do I do? Do I say ‘no, I’m not going to use my aircon or my electricity’?”
Ms Johnson said she knew she wasn’t alone in the struggle to keep up with crippling energy prices.
“It’s not just me, I’m able to work, but what happens to the people who don’t have money? I’m very much aware of young families who are struggling terribly,” she said.
“I’ve got a feeling that me and a whole lot of other people are very worried, because we’re not going to be able to afford that sort of thing.”
CASE STUDY 3 — VIVA ENERGY
ATTEMPTS to improve the long-term viability of Viva Energy’s Geelong refinery are being stalled by an expected $25 million surge in annual energy costs.
Viva Energy’s Thys Heyns, pictured, said rising energy costs were “an unwelcome headwind” to the company’s long-term improvement and viability plan.
As one of only four oil refineries in the country, Viva Energy supplies half of Victoria’s fuel, and employs more than 700 people.
“As one of the top 10 gas users in Victoria and a major user of electricity, the supply and pricing of gas and electricity is critical to Viva Energy’s business,” Mr Heyns said.
“We currently anticipate that our energy costs will rise by more than 50 per cent, or $25 million per annum.”
While the company has invested more than $300 million in refinery projects and continues to improve production, productivity and lower energy consumption, Mr Heyns said manufacturing was heavily impacted by energy price rises.
“We welcome the acknowledgement by both federal and state governments of this issue, and for their support in taking action to ensure supply and reduce the impact of price increases,” he said.
“We support any plans that ensure local pricing remains competitive as energy prices have been one of the few natural advantages we have had against international competition.”