Families struggling to pay energy bills – WSROC President Calvert urges governments to act

“As gas and electricity prices soar, some 207,000 households in Greater Western Sydney [which includes the Hawkesbury] are dependent on pitifully inadequate government energy rebates which have left families struggling to pay their bills,” says WSROC President, Councillor Barry Calvert.

The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC), representing 5 councils in Greater Western Sydney, is urging the NSW and Federal Governments to work with the Australian Energy Council to address what its President says is a “mounting energy cost crisis now devastating western suburbs households, including hundreds-of-thousands of low-income families”.

“The Australian Energy Regulator has foreshadowed New South Wales residential electricity price increases of between 8.5% and 18.3% commencing 1 July this year,” Cllr Calvert said.

“WSROC has been contacted by local families who have been slapped with electricity rate increases of more than 50% — and gas price increases of 200%.”

“Ordinary families in Greater Western Sydney are struggling already with record petrol prices, unprecedented grocery costs, unaffordable housing and sluggish wage growth,” said Councillor Calvert.

“They didn’t cause the current energy supply crisis. Government, the energy market regulators and energy suppliers have a moral responsibility to those being most severely affected by soaring energy costs.”

According to research by the Canstar financial comparison site, the average annual electricity bill for NSW families is currently $1424.

A 50% increase would see a typical yearly household peak usage electricity bill rocket to over $2100 — up over $700. One supplier has already increased its off-peak tariff by 261%.

“Families are also facing increased charges for gas, with the winter gas usage tariff in some cases being more than doubled,” Cllr Calvert said.

WSROC President and Hawkesbury Deputy Mayor, Barry Calvert

“Yet, the current Low Income Household Electricity Rebate is just $285, and the maximum Family Energy Rebate is a miserly $180.

“Do the maths. The maximum Family Energy Rebate would be wiped out nearly four times over by a 50% increase in electricity charges,” said Cllr Calvert.

“Similarly, the current $200 per year Seniors Energy Rebate and other government Energy Social Program rebates are wholly inadequate to help low-income households deal with the worsening household energy cost crisis.

“WSROC is urging the NSW and Federal Governments to work with the Australian Energy Council and energy regulators to increase investment in new energy production capacity and for the NSW Government to review the Energy Social Program rebates as a matter of urgency.”

“At very least, the Energy Social Program rebates should be doubled or tripled to help families keep up with energy costs.”

Cllr Calvert said that while general inflation was playing a big part in the energy crisis, the Australian Energy Regulator also pointed to significant rises in wholesale electricity costs over the past year caused by:

• reductions in thermal (fossil-fuel based) generation because of unplanned outages

• higher coal and gas prices due to global instability

• slowing of investment in new capacity (investment in renewables and battery storage)

• increasingly ‘peaky’ demand (sharp highs and lows)

“This is not just a crisis of winter warming, either,” said Cllr Calvert who warned of more problems ahead.

“It will become a crisis of summer cooling, soon, with summer temperatures increasing peak demand.

“At the household level, urban heat is making people sick, it is hitting hip pockets, and it’s destroying quality of life.”

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