Greens energy spokesperson Tim Clifford has urgently called on the State Government to implement safeguards so WA families aren’t faced with choosing food over paying their bills as next week’s budget looms with higher power prices.
Today Treasurer Ben Wyatt refused to remove the Tariff Equalisation Contribution, a little known subsidy paid for by power users to the tune of $169 per year.
“Given the State Government will not commit to calls from WACOSS and the Greens to pay the TEC out of Royalties for Regions to ensure lower power bills for families on the South West Interconnected System, they must protect families from falling into debt just to keep the lights on.”
It was the Greens who discovered that by removing the TEC subsidy being paid for by South West grid users, power bills will fall by 4 per cent.
“Today we learned that families in Canberra are choosing food over heating because power prices have rocketed. We can’t wait until families are already in debt before they access HUGS – by then it it’s too late.”