Aurora’s Little Blue Book misleads consumers

Minister Must Decide Whether Compensation is Due

The Tasmanian Greens today called on Energy Minister Bryan Green to acknowledge that Aurora Energy’s Little Blue Book is massively understating the running costs of portable heaters, and questioned whether the Minister would be ordering Aurora to compensate consumers who have been misled by the Book.

Greens Energy spokesperson Kim Booth MP said Aurora Energy’s Little Blue Book states that Tasmanians can run any type of portable plug-in 2400-watt heater at a cost of 49.98 cents per day, when in fact the cost to run one of these heaters for 24 hours is actually $12.

“Aurora Energy are misleading consumers into thinking that it only costs 49 cents to run a portable 2400-watt heater all day long, when in fact the real cost is $12, and there is now a serious question of compensation for those people who have been misled after relying on that advice,” said Mr Booth.

“The Little Blue Book says it costs 49.98 cents per day to run these heaters, but the maths say otherwise: 2.4Kw x 20.82 cents per Kw hour x 24 hours = $11.998 per day.”

“Electricity bills are spiralling through the roof, and the last thing Tasmanians need is advice from Aurora that massively underestimates the cost of running a portable electric heater all day long.”

“Tasmanians are entitled to believe what they read in government publications, and many electricity consumers may well have been misled into either purchasing a new portable electric heater, ostensibly to save money, or running their heater all day long in the belief that the cost would be 49 cents per day. Those families now facing massive power bills are entitled to both an explanation, and compensation.”

“Energy Minister Bryan Green is ultimately responsible for Aurora Energy and I am calling on him to either order compensation for those people who have been misled, or to explain why he will not,” said Mr Booth.