Small Gold Coast business concerned with huge power costs

AS the two major parties bicker about who will reform the energy sector, rising power costs are continuing to place a strain on small Gold Coast businesses.

Teaki Page of Feed the Earthlings is feed up with power bills that are just ridiculous for small business. Picture John Gass

AS the two major parties bicker about who will reform the energy sector, rising power costs continue to hurt Gold Coast businesses.

Feed the Earthlings store owner Teaki Page said it cost her more than $100 a week for electricity at her Broadbeach shop.

“It was already expensive when we started because we’re a fairly new business, but everything keeps going up,” the takeaway owner said.

Teaki Page says she pays about $100 on electricity alone for her small takeaway store. Picture John Gass

Ms Page said her Gold Coast and Brisbane shops used grills, fryers, a pizza oven, fridges, coolrooms and freezers and the biggest area where electricity impacted was when purchasing new equipment.

“It’s a huge consideration. It’s probably one of the biggest factors when we choose equipment.

“We have to sit down and go through electricity versus gas.

“You can get a piece of equipment for $200 based on electricity but it costs more to run.

“A gas one is $1200 (to buy).

It costs a lot of power to produce these bites to eat. Picture: Richard Gosling

“We have been sucked in with that before, buying equipment and finding out that it chews the power.”

Energy Minister Mark Bailey said the Labor Government had stabilised household electricity prices “to an average of just 1.9 per cent per year”.

“Our actions on energy for southeast Queenslanders are very clear,” he said.

Queensland Minister for Energy, Biofuels and Water Supply, Mark Bailey (left) says Labor helped to stabilise power bills. (AAP Image/Darren England)

Mr Bailey said rebates were also available when households bought energy-efficient fridges, washing machines or airconditioners.

“This provides bill savings of up to $50 a year for an energy efficient washing machine or fridge or $135 a year for an air conditioner,” he said.

Opposition energy spokesman Michael Hart says freezing the bonuses of power companies is a good way to go. Picture: Stewart Mclean

Opposition energy spokesman Michael Hart said the LNP planned to put a lot of downward pressure on electricity prices.

He said this would be done in a number of ways, including the election of consumer representatives to sit on the boards of the government-owned corporations.

“We will freeze bonuses of our power companies until electricity prices start to fall.”

He said when the strategy was adopted with Queensland Rail bosses, trains running on time jumped from 85 per cent to 96 per cent.

The LNP has said it would build a high efficiency, low emissions coal-fired power station in the north of the state.