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Renewable Energy News

WEDNESDAY 09 SEPTEMBER, 2009 |

South Australia Electricity Prices Could Double

by Energy Matters

Major electricity price rise predicted for South Australia

According to an article on Adelaide Now, welfare groups are warning electricity bills for South Australians will double within five years.

In a submission to the Australian Energy Regulator, UnitingCare Wesley said residential consumers would pay 95.7 per cent more over five years, due to rising generation, transmission and distribution costs and capital works programs.

Such a jump would particularly impact low income earners and is yet another clear signal that the age of cheap energy is over.

UnitingCare Wesley says their estimate is conservative and it's not clear from the report if the predicted increase includes costs associated with the development of so-called "clean coal" technologies, crucial to reducing greenhouse gas emissions generated by the burning of the fossil fuel for power generation.

According to a transcript of an interview with Dr. Chris Spero found on the Australian Coal Association's NewGenCoal web site, "the cost increase for clean coal technology will be in the order of 50 to 75% of current power generation costs".

However, the looming price rises make grid connect solar power an even more attractive proposition for home owners, businesses and community groups in South Australia; especially given the thousands that can be currently saved on a system through the Solar Credits program.

Additionally, owners of solar power systems in South Australia can also benefit from the state's net feed in tariff program. Small electricity customers in South Australia - that is a household, small business, community building, church or other facility that consumes less than 160 MWh of electricity per annum - are paid a premium guaranteed tariff of $0.44 per kilowatt-hour for surplus electricity produced.

Contrary to recent information in the media suggesting otherwise, the feed in tariff program is available to all qualifying South Australian residents, regardless of the electricity company that provides power to their premises.

South Australian business owners can also claim a tax deduction of up to 50% on a solar power system installed at their business premises under The Small Business and General Business Tax Break legislation.