IT is time our local politicians looked into supply-access charges from power utilities like what was expressed in The Border Mail of February 28 about Mick George’s Origin gas account. He used $4 worth of gas and paid $69 for supply access.
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It’s similar with Origin Energy for its electricity supply charge, which is $1.35 per day or $125 for a three-month account.
So, without using any electricity, customers are up for $125 on their account to be connected to power.
It is just another way for corporations to make money out of consumers.
Where the argument is expressed that it is to cover maintenance costs, I think in the future there will be less demand for power from the grid as Origin has told me that they will be providing battery systems to those that want to disconnect totally from the grid, so why the upgrades to power and poles if demand will decrease?
And why will there be consumers disconnecting from the grid?
One main reason is Origin is unfair with what it pays for solar feed-in compared to what they sell the power for, ie, 6 cents paid per kWh to solar producer, (homeowner), and Origin then sells on for 35 cents per kWh.
I phoned them to see if they would go half each, say, 17 cents to Origin and 17 cents to me. No deal at all will be offered, so they know solar producers will be going off the grid, but will have the battery packs ready to sell.
Greg Aplin, Sussan Ley, or any other politician that cares for Australians, can you please look into these increasing practices of utilities and our local council charging us, the consumer, unfairly, especially as these are monopolies, and can really do whatever they like.
Just where are the politicians that have allowed this practice in the first place, as it should be “user pays”, not “pay if you don’t use”.
— RAY WILLIAMS,
Albury
