Key Points
To provide certainty for the Tasmanian economy, Labor will make sure Tasmanian businesses never face soaring power prices again.
We will do this by putting a permanent ceiling on the price paid by contracted customers. This will guarantee that energy rebates for small and medium businesses will kick in if the wholesale price of power go above $100/MWh.
Tasmanians have invested in the Hydro for 100 years. Tasmanian businesses should be paying Tasmanian prices for Tasmanian power.
Labor’s policy to restore certainty will:
- Provide cost of living relief for Tasmanian businesses
- Support small businesses with the cost of doing business
- Put an end to Jeremy Rockliff’s unfair power price rises on business
- Make Tasmania a more attractive place to invest and work
Why we need it
The past few years have been tough for businesses. The cost of living has risen and they’ve had to pay 22.5% more in power.
The Liberal Government refused to implement an energy rebate scheme, meaning businesses were paying as much as $170/MWh.
We know we need to be doing everything we can to support Tasmanians with the cost of living – including the cost of electricity.
Tasmanians own the Hydro. We’ve invested in it for 100 years. We should be the ones who benefit by paying Tasmanian prices for Tasmanian power.
“We should be paying Tasmanian prices for Tasmanian power”
Instead, Tasmanian businesses are stuck paying high mainland prices because Jeremy Rockliff and the Liberals have refused to implement a rebate scheme.
Tasmanian businesses simply can’t afford any more of Jeremy Rockliff’s unfair power price rises.
The details
A Labor Government will implement a rebate scheme that caps the price paid by contracted customers at $100/MWh.
We will also guarantee that this rebate will come into force whenever the wholesale price goes over $100/MWh for the next ten years.
It is a simple scheme and it has been done before, including as recently as the 2017-18 budget.
Both sides of politics used to support this idea. The Liberals rolled out this scheme in 2017, but refused to do it during the current crisis, despite repeated calls from Labor and the business community.
Now the average Tasmanian business is paying thousands of dollars more for power.
Only Labor can be trusted to ensure Tasmanians pay Tasmanian prices for Tasmanian power.
Resources
Labor website here
Power prices petition here
Power bill savings calculator here
2018 price cap legislation here