BUSINESS Cutting power bills could kickstart jobs
AN electricity lobby group has called for 20 per cent cuts to the rates charged to business to stimulate the economy and create jobs.
The Queensland Electricity Users Network made the call as an expert on solar power warned changes to the way electricity corporations charge for power could see household bills rise by hundreds of dollars a year.
Queensland Electricity Users Network co- ordinator Jennifer Brownie said recently announced cuts to residential electricity prices amounted to 38c a week and could be reduced to a “paltry” 27c if smart metering charges were introduced by the Government later this month.
“Electricity bills are nothing more than a compulsory tax charged to almost every home and business in Queensland,” Ms Brownie said. “To stimulate the economy and create jobs, the Queensland Government needs to immediately reduce residential power bills by 10 per cent and business power bills by at least 20 per cent.
“This will require the Queensland Government to wean itself off the billions of dollars it receives in the budget from state- owned electricity assets and instead charge Queensland residential and business customers no more than necessary to provide the essential service of electricity.”
Meanwhile, Finn Peacock, the author of a new book called The Good Solar Guide: 7 steps to tiny bills for Australian homeowners, said the move to demand tariffs was gaining momentum as a way for electricity companies to protect profits in response to the growth of solar.
“This has already started in the ACT where new homes, or households connecting to solar power are automatically put on a demand tariff that captures the highest power usage in a half- hour window over a month,” Mr Peacock said. “( It) then charges you that rate for every day of the month, even if you haven’t drawn that amount of power on other days.”
Mr Peacock said households needed to change their behaviour so they were not using all their electrical appliances at the same time of the day.
Also, when buying new appliances, the most energy efficient ones should be sourced, he said.
Mr Peacock is the founder of the SolarQuotes website.