Energy price rises due to policy uncertainty hurt poor most – report

Low-income and disadvantaged Australians are bearing the brunt of energy price rises caused by policy uncertainty, a new report has found.

Acoss and the Brotherhood of St Laurence call on
the government to implement policies in line with
its commitment to the Paris agreement. 

The Australian Council of Social Service and the Brotherhood of St Laurence have warned they are receiving harrowing reports since steep rises in wholesale energy prices began in mid-2016.

They say struggling families are having their gas and electricity disconnected, or going without hot water because they can’t afford to get their systems fixed.

The report – co-authored by Acoss, the brotherhood and the now-closed Climate Institute – calls on the government to provide investment certainty by implementing climate and energy policies in line with its commitment to the Paris agreement.

It also recommends reviewing laws that allow disconnection of households that cannot afford their bills; making it easier for at-risk households to access rooftop solar and energy-efficient products; and improving the energy efficiency of public and community housing stock. 

Read The Guardian story why Christopher Knaus - “Energy price rises due to policy uncertainty hurt poor most – report.”