Power surges shock again

ONCE again residential, commercial and agricultural electricity users are to be slugged with big increases in the next financial year.

Consumers are already getting a shock with the latest quarterly bill but are being warned to expect even more from July 1.

The Queensland Competition Authority has released its draft decision on electricity prices for 2017-18 and is predicting “modest” rises with a 1.7 per cent increase in the annual bill for most households on the main residential tariff — up $25 from $1490 to $1515.

The increase for average small business is 1.7 per cent from $2449 to $2486 over the same period.

But the Far North Queensland Electricity Users Network, which represents organisations such as regional councils and business groups, says the “average” is severely underestimated.

Network co-ordinator Jennifer Brownie says the modelling is wrong and misleading.

Bluntly she says “the federal regulators and the State Government are using flawed statistics” and ignoring factors such as surging wholesale electricity prices.

Having to pay for the phasing in of renewable energy is not being gradually eased, but is being added in chunks and more than the CPI.

The group wants the government to be transparent and completely open about the rises.

Energy Minister Mark Bailey can rave on about “nobody likes a price rise” which the government had managed to contain to 1.5 per cent, households by 1.7 per cent and farmers and irrigators by a maximum of 1.9 per cent.

But consumers don’t want shocks and, unfortunately, this is what they are getting. Nick Dalton nick.dalton@news.com.au