Rosalie Woodruff MP | Greens' Energy spokesperson
At today’s Government Business scrutiny committee, TasNetworks confirmed their "cost reflective" policy will mean business power bills will benefit over Tasmanian households. It's improper for a responsible government to put household users below business interests.
TasNetworks confirmed their plan to continue increasing the fixed service component of their tariff. This is the tariff Tasmanians have to pay, regardless of how much energy they use.
Continuously raising the tariff makes it harder for Tasmanian households to control their power bills by reducing the amount of electricity they use. It will hit disadvantaged and low income Tasmanians, who spend the largest proportion of their income on electricity, the hardest.
There's also less incentive to use energy efficient appliances or install insulation, which means people will be battling fruitlessly against a growing cost of power.
By not stepping in, Energy Minister, Matthew Groom, is ensuring it's disadvantaged Tasmanians who are subsidising businesses.