MEDIA RELEASE

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NSW households will be hit with higher electricity bills thanks to the actions of the State Government.

For two years the Australian Energy Regulator has been fighting in court to reduce energy bills for households by about $106 to $313 a year.

Small businesses were forecast to receive a cut of up to $523 from their annual bill.

The Liberal-National Government took legal action at every turn to block the AER’s determination to lower bills.

Yesterday, the Federal Court dismissed the AER’s final appeal paving the way for price rises to cover the period 2014 to 2019.

The AER’s original determination provided for very significant price decreases initially and then smaller decreases over the successive years.

Electricity providers including Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and Essential Energy have already been increasing prices in line/more than inflation.

Today’s Federal Court appeal was the final attempt to keep prices in check but instead prices are likely to keep increasing.

 

Quotes attributable to NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley: 

“This Government took the extraordinary step to pursue legal action to prevent the state’s households from saving up to $313 on their power bills.

“This is your taxpayer dollars at work – an army of lawyers in court to push power prices up.

“Households and families were asking for lower power prices but the Government chose fight the AER’s decision to lower bills.”

 

Quotes attributable to Shadow Minister for Shadow Minister Industry, Resources and Energy Adam Searle: 

“The independent energy regulator said prices should go down significantly but the Liberals and Nationals did everything to push prices up.

“We can expect steep price increases for electricity soon, thanks to the actions of this Government.”

 

25 May 2017