SA households not using heating because of electricity costs, says survey

CASH-STRAPPED South Australian households concerned about rising energy bills are choosing not to heat their home this winter, a survey into energy use has revealed.

Woodville South resident Greg Horne joined One Big Switch after learning his power prices would rise. Pic: Tom Huntley

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CASH-STRAPPED South Australian householders concerned about rising energy bills are choosing not to heat their home this winter, a survey into energy use has revealed.

A poll of 3500 households who have joined the Big Switch Campaign to secure a better electricity deal also found nearly half reported living in energy fuel poverty, spending more than 10 per cent of their income on gas and electricity, or had trouble paying their bills.

Joel Gibson, director of campaign organiser One Big Switch, said sacrificing something as basic as heating the home was something “no family” should have to do.

“The fact that 48 per cent of SA households are suffering from fuel poverty means it comes as no surprise that families are going to such lengths to alleviate their bill stress,” he said.

“The first thing people can do to help themselves is to ensure they’re not paying more for their electricity than they have to. Join our campaign or shop around.”

The survey was launched as part of the Big Energy Switch, a nationwide people-power campaign to cut the cost of electricity.

The campaign yesterday announced it would double the sign-up goal to 80,000 after hitting its 40,000 subscriber target within just its first week.

The Big Energy Switch campaign aims to use the huge buying power of Australian

households to unlock group-discounted energy and promote retail competition nationally.

Australian Energy Regulator figures released this month revealed 10,179 residential customers in SA were disconnected for failing to pay their electricity bill in 2014-15.

Gas disconnections increased by 31 per cent to 4575 over the same period.

Greg Horne, 50, of Woodville has joined the One Big Switch campaign after learning his electricity costs through Lumo Energy were to increase by 6.3 per cent for the supply charge and more than 12 per cent for usage costs.

The sales manager has also been hit with a “double whammy” of the feed-in tariff for his solar panel system reducing from 16c to 6c in September.

“We work during the day so solar power will be less effective when we lose the feed-in tariff,” he said.

But while he said he could try and absorb the extra cost by working a bit more, he was concerned about pensioners who may not have the capacity to pay.

He said the electricity costs for his pensioner mother, 87, will increase 12 per cent from the end of this month.

“That concerns me more than myself,” he said. “It’s the older people, who are not working ... when you’re a pensioner you don’t get an extra 12 per cent in your pension.”

Joining the Big Energy Switch is entirely cost and obligation free. Consumers who wish to

join can go to www.onebigswitch.com.au