Power companies are skirting their obligations to warn households about major changes to the way they are charged for electricity courtesy of a 'loophole' in Australia's energy rules.
When Dion Sternberg and his wife decided to buy their first home in Adelaide last year, power prices were, oddly enough, one of their bigger concerns.
"We were trying to counteract the electricity bill and now it's a lot higher, we've obviously had to make some changes around our budgeting." Under the rules, retailers do not have to provide advanced notification to consumers about changes to their tariffs if the underlying rates charged by the network poles-and-wires company to the retailer are altered first.
"There's nothing in the rules that says they can't do the right thing by consumers. So it's a little bit of a furphy. While about 40 per cent of Australian homes currently have a smart meter, regulators including the Australian Energy Market Commission want one installed at every property by the end of the decade.
Australian Energy Regulator Time-Of-Use Tariffs Peak Power Prices Price Gouging
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘Out for numero uno’: Anne Edmonds, Lloyd Langford take on TaskmasterCan Australia’s best-known comedy power couple survive the inspired silliness of Taskmaster Australia?
Read more »
‘Out for numero uno’: Anne Edmonds, Lloyd Langford take on TaskmasterCan Australia’s best-known comedy power couple survive the inspired silliness of Taskmaster Australia?
Read more »
Energy transition: Let’s not waste the green energy opportunityThe government’s industry policy is not some throwback to the Deakinite settlement. It’s quite the opposite.
Read more »
Energy companies charging solar panel owners for exporting power criticised by consumer groupsCritics argue change could lead people to install smaller solar power systems so they aren’t penalised for exporting excess energy during the day
Read more »
Energy companies charging NSW solar panel owners for exporting power criticised by lobby groupAusgrid has introduced a tariff to incentivise solar panel owners to export power in evening
Read more »
Origin Energy-backed Octopus gains more investors to power global pushAustralian power giant Origin’s stake in Britain’s Octopus Energy has gained hundreds of millions of dollars in value after the fast-growing UK company secured new backing.
Read more »