“If you think electricity is costing you more under Labor, then you’re right. Under the Rudd/Gillard Labor government, electricity prices have gone up 94%. And don’t forget: the cost will go up even more…
Australia’s energy regulations need a clean up.
Flickr/Looking Glass
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd ducked the question of changes to carbon pricing in his National Press Club address yesterday. But he put energy market reform at the top of his “New National Competitiveness…
If I install solar panels and a car battery to run my air conditioner, should I pay higher electricity network fees? The electricity industry and Queensland’s Energy Minister would say yes, but is that…
How much difference will unplugging the carbon tax make?
jnyemb/Flickr
Tony Abbott has said he will scrap the carbon “tax”, leading to a fall in electricity prices. In his budget reply speech he stated: We will abolish the carbon tax – because that’s the quickest way to reduce…
We know we have to cut back on electricity use on really hot days, but how do we do it without disadvantaging low-income households?
Karl-Ludwig G. Poggemann
Australia’s electricity prices are rising and not everyone is finding it easy to keep up. Fingers have been pointed at peak demand; the times, like very hot summer afternoons, when we use large amounts…
The Australian Energy Market Operator’s latest report lays out what it will cost to switch on to renewable power.
To avoid 2 degrees of climate change, global carbon emissions will need to be reduced by at least 50% by 2050. For developed countries such as Australia with higher carbon emissions this will mean cuts…
Putting panels on your roof reduces your power bill, but it also reduces the risk of price rises for everyone on the network.
murphyz/Flickr
How much would you pay to avoid another $250 a year hike in your electricity bill? Does $15 a year sound like too much to reduce that risk? We’ve heard a lot lately about rising electricity prices. That’s…
Governments need to step in and make sure consumers are considered in electricity pricing.
earl what i saw 2.0/Flickr
If there’s logic behind the way Australian energy markets work, at first glance it’s hard to fathom. Increases in power bills have previously been justified by our increasing demand. But as energy demand…
Wind power now contributes 3.8% to the electricity market.
Flickr/Bush Philosopher - Dave Clarke
Let’s be honest: the relationship between renewable energy and the electricity market is complex. So what does the latest report from Australian energy research firm RepuTex tell us? Well, for a start…
Blackouts remind us what life was like before cheap, readily available electricity - but it’s time to think about the true price of our power.
Candle in the dark image from www.shutterstock.com/Ronen
No lights, no power, no internet - and no easy solutions. Fumbling around in a middle of a blackout, hoping to find a torch or some spare batteries, I was struck by just how utterly dependent most of us…
When comparing power sources, we have to take the costs of system effects into account.
Flick/a_whisper_of_unremitting_demand
A recent Bloomberg press release got wide coverage with its claim that wind power is now cheaper than coal. But a new report from the OECD shows that when you cover the full cost to the grid, variable…
Giving electricity providers something to aim for could reduce prices.
Ville Miettinen
Better managing peak demand, the primary culprit behind recent rapid price rises across Australia, is a key challenge facing Eastern Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM). To deal with peak demand…
In the short term, reducing demand could be bad for the environment, but the long-term view is brighter.
Gustavo Durán
The past year has seen several processes to reduce the price of electricity to consumers. Each has highlighted the importance of “demand management” - consumers reducing use at peak times to reduce the…
For low-income households, energy saving usually means switching off. Will COAG’s reforms give them more options?
James Mooney
There is only so much that individuals can do. As energy prices keep climbing, in many households you will find a parent patrolling to check lights and appliances are turned off. Some poorer households…
Electricity prices have been rising rapidly during the past decade.
Sir Bennikins/Flickr
A few days ago, the Prime Minister Julia Gillard foreshadowed a “plan to make sure that families pay $250 less per year for electricity” to be discussed at this Friday’s meeting of the Council of Australian…
A smart meter alone isn’t enough. Customers also need in home displays or web portals.
Tom Raferty
Smart meters are in the news again with much discussion about what Prime Minister Julia Gillard is expected to propose to the COAG meeting on Friday. Smart meters can perform various functions, from remote…
Prime minister Julia Gillard takes an electricity pricing reform package to COAG this week - but could the answer be in addressing congestion pricing for the network?
AAP
Electricity network pricing has been a hot topic in the last six months. The key issues have been regulation and demand side management. On regulation, Prime Minister Julia Gillard is taking a package…
Things go wrong when prices are out of whack.
Kevin Baird
Contrary to expectations, demand for electricity in Australia has been falling for several years. Reasons for this include large price rises (of which the carbon price is a relatively small component…
History suggests privatisation of the electricity industry is not such a bright idea.
Image from www.shutterstock.com
Surging power prices are having savage consequences for household discretionary incomes. Some would blame the government’s carbon tax, but the real culprit is price gouging. Judging from the pronouncements…