NSW households face Labor’s huge electricity price hikes

June 29, 2010

Household budgets across NSW will be under more pressure from July 1 as Labor drives up electricity prices, said Shadow Consumer Affairs Minister, Luke Hartsuyker.

Country Energy customers will pay 13pc more, Energy Australia 10pc and Integral Energy 7pc, following the decision in April by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal.  Consumers are suffering the first of a series of annual electricity price rises that will see their bills rise by a huge 42pc by 2012/13 for Country Energy, 36pc for Energy Australia, and 20pc for Integral Energy.  Gas prices will also rise on July 1 by between 4 and 13pc for the major suppliers.

“The scary thing about these increases is that they will be even higher if Federal Labor is returned at the next election. New South Wales electricity increases would have been 50pc higher if Federal Labor had pressed ahead with its emissions trading scheme, "said Mr Hartsuyker.  “This would have had a devastating impact on low and middle income households and small business.”

Mr Hartsuyker said Australians were feeling the brunt of out of touch Labor Governments.   “This is the cost of living under Labor,” Mr Hartsuyker said.  “Before the election, Labor promised it would put downward pressure on the cost of living and this is what voters get – increases many times the Consumer Price Index which is currently 2.9pc.

“It makes no difference whether it’s Kevin Rudd or Julia Gillard in charge, Labor promises are clearly worth nothing. They said they’d do something about petrol prices and came up with FuelWatch which would have increased prices for most motorists.  Then they dropped it.  They said they’d do something about food prices and came up with GROCERYchoice which was useless.  Then they dropped it.

“Now Julia Gillard has confirmed she will be setting a price for carbon which means these huge price rises will go even higher.  And she’s committed to the mining tax which will, in effect, be another great big tax on everything.  This is the reality of life under Labor – broken promises, useless policies and rising prices.”