Pensioners alarmed at 60% price hike for electricity

“The reported 60% jump in the price of electricity in 2013 will mean pensioner and other low-income households will have no choice but to turn off the lights.”

“These households already under-use energy because they are on a low income. The Pensioner Energy rebate will not adequately protect pensioners from electricity price hikes – it’s failing to do so now – and its indexation to CPI rather than an energy price index will result in it falling further behind as prices rise. This is not to mention other low-income households that are not even entitled to the rebate in the first place.”

“Pensioner and low-income households often have energy-intensive older appliances because they cannot afford to upgrade to more efficient appliances.”

“Government assistance to help households make their homes more energy efficient, like the Australian Government’s solar hot-water rebate, largely fails low-income households because they have to come up with the upfront payment. Many pensioners do not have a lazy few-thousand dollars lying around to even make use of such programs. CPSA welcomes assistance to low-income households to make their homes more energy efficient, but rebates do not ensure that this takes place.”

“Upfront government assistance to make low-income households energy efficient will be essential once an emissions trading scheme takes effect.”

“CPSA calls on the State and Australian governments to roll-out an energy efficiency retrofit program, targeting low-income households, so they can reduce their energy costs.”

Media contact: 0410 612 182

Charmaine Crowe
Policy Coordinator
Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association (CPSA)
Level 9, 28 Foveaux Street Surry Hills NSW, 2010
Phone (02) 9281 3588
Mob 0410 612 182
Fax (02) 9281 9716