{"id":35077,"date":"2013-05-31T19:21:15","date_gmt":"2013-05-31T09:21:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=35077"},"modified":"2020-12-18T12:19:03","modified_gmt":"2020-12-18T02:19:03","slug":"mps-confirm-22-6pc-power-rise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2013\/05\/31\/mps-confirm-22-6pc-power-rise\/","title":{"rendered":"MPs Confirm 22.6pc Power Rise"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Tim<\/a>
Qld Treasurer Tim Nicholls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

May 31, 2013 <\/strong><\/p>\n

The State Government confirmed this afternoon that the Queensland Competition Authority (QCA) had determined that general household electricity prices should rise by 22.6 per cent.<\/p>\n

Treasurer Tim Nicholls said the decision was a further blow for consumers but he said the QCA had limited room to move as “more than 70 per cent of the price increase (is) determined by network costs and green schemes locked in three years ago”.<\/p>\n

\u201cNetwork costs controlled by the Australian Energy Regulator account for almost 47 per cent of this increase,\u201d Mr Nicholls said.<\/p>\n

Energy Minister Mark McArdle blamed the Federal Government\u2019s carbon tax and green schemes, and the former State Government\u2019s solar bonus scheme, as the “real driver” of the increase.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe former Labor State Government\u2019s solar bonus scheme was no bonus at all. It is a Labor $3 billion solar tax on 80 per cent of Queensland consumers. By 2015-2016 this is going to cost Queensland households an extra $276,\u201d Mr McArdle said.<\/p>\n

He said the Federal Labor Government could take immediate action to provide relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the Federal Labor Government scrapped the carbon tax and the rest of the Labor green schemes, Queenslanders would have savings of about 15 per cent on their bills,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mr Nicholls said that given this year\u2019s massive write-downs in government revenue, the State Government could not afford to pay all consumers an electricity rebate.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we will be doing is helping those most in need by spending $136 million in the coming year to help pensioners, seniors and concession card holders with their power costs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe government is also doubling the Home Energy Emergency Assistance budget to $10 million to ensure low income households can get an emergency payment of up to $720 if needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr McArdle said the State Government was committing to a reform program for implementation in 2013-2014 that included “the necessary major structural reform” to reduce cost drivers of electricity prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

\u00a0 Projected 2013-2014 Residential Electricity Costs<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Table:<\/b> Projected electricity costs for residential households – results may vary depending on tariffs<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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