Power bills struggle

AUSTRALIANS are having to choose between paying their medical bills or electricity costs, according to the nation’s consumer watchdog.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has also identified cases of households rationing food to pay their power bills and rent.

That’s according to ACCC chairman Rod Sims, who has also warned of widespread job losses in manufacturing, along with small business closures, if Australia’s soaring electricity and gas prices aren’t reined in.

Mr Sims said industry players who blamed investment uncertainty were ignoring a “hell of a lot” of other factors.

More than 40 per cent of power price hikes in the past decade were due to costs with network infrastructure, he said.

Other causes were higher retail costs, generation costs and green scheme costs.