Media release – Guy Barnett, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, 4 October 2021
Delivering the lowest electricity prices for Tasmanians
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is delivering on a key cost-of-living election commitment to achieve the lowest regulated electricity prices in the country by 2022.
The independent Tasmanian Economic Regulator has released its Comparison of Electricity and Gas Prices Available to Small Customers in Australia and it shows we have delivered on our promise a year ahead of schedule.
On the basis of this report, Tasmania now has the lowest, or among the lowest, regulated electricity prices in Australia.
For non-concession customers, at a representative level of consumption, the annual bill under time-of-use tariff (Tariff 93) available to all Tasmanian residential customers is the lowest for regulated tariffs in the country.
The annual non-concession bill (Tariff 31/41) is the lowest of the bills under all comparable regulated tariffs in all other jurisdictions, except under one tariff available to some customers in Queensland.
For small business, at a representative level of consumption, the annual bill in Tasmania (Tariff 22) is lower than under comparable regulated tariffs in all jurisdictions – except under some tariffs available to some customers in Victoria and Queensland.
To keep downward pressure on power prices this Government capped regulated power prices to no more than CPI for four years, saving households and businesses from price increases. We then delivered a 1.38 per cent decrease in 2020-21.
This was followed by the recent announcement that from July 1, 2021 Tasmanian households would receive a 7.11 per cent decrease in electricity prices and small businesses would receive an 11 per cent drop in regulated prices, depending on their tariffs.
This sees around 243,000 households saving between $126-$145 on their annual power bill and 29,000 small businesses saving about $183.
More than seven years on from our election in 2014, in real terms, prices have decreased by 18 per cent for residential customers and decreased by over 27 per cent for small business customers.
Tasmania has already achieved 100 per cent renewable electricity generation and has a nation-leading target of 200 per cent by 2040, and we know the state’s renewable energy vision through Marinus Link and Battery of the Nation will keep downward pressure on wholesale prices which will flow on to consumers.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government said we would deliver affordable, reliable and clean electricity for Tasmanians and we are proud to deliver on that commitment to help secure Tasmania’s future.
Media release – Jo Siejka MLC, Shadow Minister for Community Services, 5 October 2021
Misleading media releases won’t help Tasmanians with cost of living
Energy Minister Guy Barnett has shown just how out of touch he is by his misleading claim Tasmania has some of the lowest power bills in the country.
Shadow Minister for Community Services Jo Siejka said Mr Barnett had failed to tell Tasmanians the full story regarding power bills.
“While Tasmania might have among the lowest ‘regulated’ energy prices in the country, this does not mean we have the lowest power bills,” Ms Siejka said.
“The Economic Regulator’s report shows the lowest market offers in other states are well below Tasmania’s ‘regulated’ price.
“Add to this the fact Tasmanians have to use more power because of our much colder winters and you soon find bills here are actually the highest in the nation.
“And let’s not forget Tasmanian wages are more than $11,000 below the mainland average, so Tasmanians are also forced to spend a greater proportion of their income on electricity bills.”
Ms Siejka said it wasn’t just Labor saying this – the TasCOSS report into Tasmanian Residential Electricity Prices said exactly the same thing.
“Tasmanians know they have high bills and pretending otherwise only shows how out of touch this Government has become.
“Misleading media statements from an out of touch Minister won’t do anything to help Tasmanians struggling with the rising cost of living.”
