Tuesday, 10 September 2024

Energy policy

Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (18:17): (1121) My adjournment is for the Minister for Energy and Resources. Before I go into the action that I seek, Minister, the increasing burden of high energy bills is of significant concern for many Victorians, and this was outlined recently in the quarterly report which was released by the energy and water ombudsman Victoria. I will be particularly referring to the April to June period for this year, but the action I seek is for the minister to show me the proactive steps being taken to alleviate the pressure and provide support to Victorian consumers, particularly those in my electorate, in the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region, who are struggling to pay their energy bills.

I want to quote Madeleine Heffernan, who in the Age of 22 August said:

There has been a surge in Victorians seeking help for rocketing energy costs, with data showing the number of people complaining about “bill shock” jumped 22 per cent in a year.

In the area of Frankston alone I spoke to people working in soup kitchens and brekkie clubs, and they said there has been an increase in the number of people having to go and get food because they are having to decide how they are going to spend the little money that they have. They need to be able to keep their heaters on, they need to be able to keep their electricity on and so they are going to find food from other sources in order to be able to pay the bills. This is absolutely shameful.

In my request to the minister and the action that I seek I am asking the minister so I can inform my constituents: (1) what specific actions the government is taking to address the rising cost of energy and its impact on Victorian households; (2) what plans there are to increase funding or streamline the process for accessing utility relief grants, the URGs, and other government support programs; (3) to explain how the government is working with energy retailers to ensure they are providing adequate assistance to consumers experiencing payment difficulties; and (4) to indicate any plans to review the current energy market regulations to address issues of consumer protection and affordability.

In the Energy and Water Ombudsman report the following points are showcased. There were 4012 cases which were recorded in the April to June quarter. They have gone up by 17 per cent compared to the same quarter last year, with 3428 cases in April to June 2023 but 4012, as I said, this year. Cases about electricity were up 26 per cent; that is 2316 compared to1837 last year. Cases about gas were up by 4 per cent; that is 1255 compared to 1199. Billing cases were up by 15 per cent, and that is 48 per cent of the total case load. Credit cases were up by 7 per cent and supply cases were up by 97 per cent. So the ombudsman’s case load fell from last quarter – (Time expired)