Rising electricity prices may force residents to reconsider putting up Christmas lights in the festive season
ELECTRICITY providers are likely to become the Grinch who stole Christmas as rising power bills force residents to reconsider displaying their festive lights.
- South Australia most at risk of summer blackouts
- EnergyAustralia customers to pay hundreds more
- AGL customers face price hike
- Origin power prices spike $313
ELECTRICITY providers are likely to become the Grinch who stole Christmas as rising power bills force residents to reconsider displaying their festive lights.
For the past 15 years, Prospect resident Vince Franze has brought smiles to childrens’ faces by lighting up thousands of bulbs on his house each December.
But the future of his tradition looks ominous after his electricity provider, EnergyAustralia, announced a 19.6 per cent increase in power prices from July 1.
“I’d love to keep the lights on because the kids appreciate what I do, but this makes its very hard,” Mr Franze, 69, said.
“It will be a bit of a burden to have to find an extra $350 a year.
“I don’t want to give up, but it depends on what impact financially this will have. It will be a very hard decision.”
The Advertiser reported this week EnergyAustralia was among the three major retailers to announce price hikes in excess of $300 a year.
AGL will increase prices by 18 per cent for customers in South Australia, while Origin Energy yesterday announced a rise just shy of 16 per cent.
“The light displays used to get bigger and bigger, but now I think they will get smaller and smaller because the costs keep going up for everything — water, electricity and gas,” Mr Franze said.