Regional Queensland Power Bills to Rise as Fossil Fuel Prices Bite
31 May 2022: Regional Queensland Power Bills to Rise as Fossil Fuel Prices Bite
Residential power prices in regional Queensland will rise on average by 9.2 per cent from July 1st following the Queensland Competition Authority’s release of regulated electricity prices. Small businesses will face a 10.2 per cent increase while large energy consumers will face a staggering 15.7 - 21.2 per cent hike.
“The hike in household power bills is the result of skyrocketing coal and gas prices driving up the wholesale price of electricity. This increase has been the most pronounced in coal-dependent states like Queensland where retailers are facing a 49.5 per cent increase in wholesale costs,” said Stephanie Gray, Deputy Director at Solar Citizens.
“Queensland wholesale prices are also through the roof because breakdowns at coal and gas units mean we’ve had unexpected shortfalls during times of high demand.
“To the State Government’s credit they have announced a $175 Cost of Living Rebate for Queenslanders’ next power bill but this is a short-term solution to a long-term issue.
“While states like Tasmania are now effectively 100 per cent renewable, Queensland only gets 20 per cent of our electricity from cheap renewable sources. Queensland's reliance on coal and gas is driving up the cost of living and making it harder for businesses to stay competitive.
“Right now the Queensland Government is developing a 10-Year Energy Plan to map out the future of the State’s electricity system. We’d like to see them take action on the rising cost of living by scaling up the rollout of cheap renewable energy while phasing out state-owned coal stations.
“Queenslanders are world leaders in the uptake of rooftop solar. It’s households and small businesses that have led our energy transformation so far because solar energy straight from the rooftop is the cheapest form of electricity.
“Now it’s time for the Queensland Government to do their part by delivering a plan mapping our pathway to a clean energy powered grid. Queenslanders can’t afford to be paying for expensive fossil fuels when the other states have got on with the transition.
“There’s also much more the State Government can do to help renters and people living in social housing have access to cheap solar energy. Rolling out a Virtual Power Plant on Queensland’s social housing, like they’ve done in South Australia, is an obvious first step to help vulnerable households.”
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Media contact: Stephanie Gray 0425543006
