Tuesday, 2 June 2026

 Lily D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park – Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for the State Electricity Commission) (15:11): I am pleased to inform the house that in just three weeks time on 1 July this year over half a million Victorians will see a drop in their electricity prices. The Victorian default offer will fall by an average of $84 per year for households and $241 per year for small businesses. At a time that Victorians are under real cost-of-living pressures, this will help them. The final VDO is $444 lower for households and $1299 lower for small businesses than the equivalent offer in other states. Victoria consistently has the lowest energy prices in the nation, and that will continue after 1 July.

The reasons for this are very clear. We are building the renewable electricity and the big batteries that give us cheaper electricity and help Victorians with the cost of living every day when it comes to their energy bills. And we are making it even easier for Victorians to take advantage of cheap renewable energy through the midday power saver. From 1 October Victorians can access 3 hours of free power every day, even if they do not have solar. It could save Victorians between $149 and $1102 per year on their bills, depending how much of their electricity usage they can shift to the midday period. And the Victorian offer will be much cheaper outside the free hours than in other states, with rates ranging from 12 per cent to 90 per cent cheaper on average than the equivalent in other states.

Those are quiet on the other side; I wonder why. Some people choose to describe renewables as renewables rubbish and are intent on stopping renewables and keeping coal power going longer, which will cost Victorians more on their electricity bills every day. We are on the side of Victorians and giving them real cost-of-living relief.