CHOICE welcomes Productivity Commission report into electricity networks

“Today’s report is further evidence that we have a broken electricity system in Australia, with wasteful spending resulting in unnecessary increases in household bills,” says CHOICE CEO Alan Kirkland.

 
“As the Commission says, our electricity market is meant to put consumers’ interests front and centre, and right now, that objective has been lost.

 
“In particular we welcome the call for greater consumer participation in electricity market decisions,” says Mr Kirkland.

 
CHOICE has put forward 14 recommendations to fix Australia’s electricity sector, with an emphasis on reducing peak demand, ensuring more efficient spending and empowering consumers.²
 
“There is a growing chorus of consumer groups, regulators and now the Productivity Commission, saying it’s time for reform,” says Mr Kirkland.
 
“We need to see all governments – federal, state and territory – step up to the plate before the final COAG meeting of 2012 and take meaningful, long-term actions to reduce electricity network costs for households.”
 
CHOICE has launched a campaign to Take the Power Back for Australia’s electricity consumers: www.choice.com.au/takethepowerback
 
Media contact: Matt Levey, CHOICE Head of Campaigns – 0488 214 066
 
1. “Electricity prices have risen by more than 50 per cent in real terms over the past five years. Spiralling network costs are the main contributor to these increases, partly driven by inefficiencies in the industry and flaws in the regulatory environment.” See http://www.pc.gov.au/projects/inquiry/electricity/draft
 
2. CHOICE has put forward 14 recommendations to reform Australia’s electricity sector in a submission to the current Senate Select Committee on electricity prices