Media Release

17 May 2018

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NSW Labor says the Berejiklian Government is shirking its responsibility to make sure energy customers in NSW aren’t being over-charged.

In NSW Parliament today the Berejiklian Government’s Energy Minister refused to answer whether Ausgrid overcharged its customers by up to $417 million over five years (2014-2019 period) and what his government would do about it.

Last month, the Labor Opposition uncovered that Essential Energy – which delivers services to more than 800,000 homes and businesses across 95 per cent of NSW – overcharged its customers by more than $98 million.

Shadow Minister for Energy Adam Searle MLC uncovered the truth and wants the Minister for Energy to explain why the government was determined to keep the over-charging secret.

The Minister was also asked today what steps the government is taking to ensure the big energy companies it privatised do not keep exploiting their customers.

In Parliament on Tuesday, the Minister could not guarantee that Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy have not overcharged customers or whether customers will receive refunds, if they have been overcharged, within the financial year.

Quotes attributable to Labor Leader in the Legislative Council and Shadow Minister for the Industry, Resources and Energy Adam Searle:

“The Berejiklian Government has dropped the ball on protecting energy consumers, leaving it to the Labor Opposition to uncover the truth about price gouging.

“The Berejiklian Government and its energy minister are running from their responsibility.

“This is yet another example of the Liberals and Nationals failing families struggling to pay their power bills.

“The Berejiklian Government needs to come clean and tell the community if customers have been paying too much and what they will do about it.”