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Shocking energy bills
In Australia the average annual household electricity bill was $1,645 back in December 2021. ACT residents cop the nation’s highest bills, paying $2,004 a year which is 39 per cent more than Queensland residents’ $1,226. Victorians pay $1,290 a year, New South Wales residents $1,253 and South Australians $1,742 a year
All year however prices have been rising on the back of unstable geopolitical forces causing widespread discontent among those without rooftop solar PV.
Keep calm and wrap up well
If you think Australians are doing it tough on power prices, consider the poor Brits whose bills are skyrocketing. Winter is just around the corner and energy bills are set to average around £500 ($850) a month, with some paying in excess of £700 ($1,190), more than half the nation’s median disposable income of about £31,400 ($53,460). Coppers on the beat in the UK earn as little as £14 ($23) an hour.
The power crisis follow Britain’s energy industry regulator confirming an 80 per cent rise in the consumer price cap from October that will take a typical household’s gas and electricity bill to £3,549 ($6,036) a year.
The UK’s heavy reliance on energy imports in particular gas is partly to blame, and prices are exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.
Although Australia is also facing an energy affordability crisis it’s mitigated by our status as a net energy exporter.
Witty words from ‘The Punny world’ never fail to amuse us. Here’s a wee gem:
The reason that aliens have never visited us is because our solar system has received terrible reviews.
We only have one star.
Independent MP Monique Ryan has hit the ground running in federal parliament
During the National EV Summit in Canberra Monique Ryan attended the breakfast where EU Ambassador Michael Pulch called on the Australian government to stop subsiding internal combustion engine cars through the Luxury Car Tax Discount.
“I was very happy to be able to report to the room that I’d the submitted a proposal to the Treasurer on that very issue earlier in the week,” she said. “The proposal submitted to Treasurer Jim Chalmers was for an update in the definition of ‘fuel efficient’ vehicles which would decrease subsidies to ICE vehicles, make EVs more price-competitive and put $450 million back into country’s tax coffers over the next three years. We’re awaiting his response.”
The very vocal and active MP was one of many who, in the build-up to the federal election, called for Fuel Efficiency Standards. She also penned a recent op-ed in the AFR Electric cars: How the government can unlock the market; they’re vital to increasing the supply of EVs to this country.
Long cold winter
Further increases are slated in the UK from January, with annual forecasts of £5,387 ($9163), up from a previous prediction of £4,650, and rising to an all-time high of £6,616 ($11,233 - ouch) in April 2023. *Based on exchange rate of 58 cents to one pound.
British resident Shirley Finlay told Smart Energy “Electricity is very topical right now here in UK, it’s in all our conversations. Everyone, even those in higher income brackets, is thinking about what they can do to reduce ALL bills.
“There are many articles now on what each electrical appliance costs to run and I’m thinking of cutting down the timer on the hot water unit and the time we have the heating on during winter. We already think twice about which lights we do and don’t need on.
“One woman I know has stopped using her hair straightener! I heard a person had switched off their fridge freezer, others are batch cooking in the oven rather than an item at a time, and making sure they have full loads in the washing machine. People are rugging up too.”
Meantime department stores are fast selling out of big cosy all-in-one blanket wraparounds, the hooded blanket snuggle.
Shirley’s local fish and chip shop has had to close its doors after their monthly gas and electricity bill soared from £1,200 ($2037) to around £5,200 when the fixed terms came to an end, and they were looking down the barrel at a further rise to a plainly unaffordable £6,120 ($10,391) monthly electricity bill.
Hopefully most readers of this magazine have an energy bill buffer in the shape of rooftop PV, as does this writer who has invited UK family and friends to swap their miserable UK winter with sunny warm Australia. Just need to stock up on marmite, mushy peas and Twining teas, and subscribe to Brit Box.
