‘Skyrocketing’ power bills lead to questions over Ergon smart meters
Dozens of Cairns residents have copped huge increases on their latest power bills, but Ergon says smart meters are not to blame.
Cairns
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cairns. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Ergon has responded to dozens of Cairns residents outraged at their latest power bill, stating smart meters are not to blame for charges that are in some cases twice as high as previous years.
Instead the energy supplier said increased use over the hotter months and higher prices set by the Queensland Competition Authority in July were behind bigger charges.
It comes as the state’s electricity watchdog reveals it received more than 2000 complaints – largely about bills – in the last quarter of 2023, almost a third more than it received in the previous year.
Aman Cheema, who lives in a two-bed home in Smithfield, said despite running the same amount of airconditioning and electronics as usual her latest quarterly bill was $1028.
“Usually it is below $500 and it always stays steady,” she said.
The Cairns Post has seen copies of Ms Cheema’s bill which show her February kilowatt-hour usage is more than twice as high as it was in February 2023.
“I called Ergon and they told me to get everything checked by an electrician, they didn’t offer the option of a second read,” she said.
“I have two aircons that run 6pm to 8pm five days (per week), one of them runs even less. One washer and dryer which is used about twice a week.”
Bec Murray, who has a three-bed home and granny flat in Freshwater, said her monthly bill “skyrocketed” in January despite being away for a week that month.
“Typically, our monthly bills for the same month and surrounding summer months over the last four years have ranged between $350-$450, with usage averaging between 1257kWh-1436kWh,” she said.
“However, this last bill (January) spiked to $900, including the government rebate, with usage totalling 2500kWh.”
Ms Murray said she got an electrician to check the home but they could not pinpoint any reason for the jump.
“What’s concerning is that with a smart reader, there are no meter readings provided on the bill. This lack of transparency makes it impossible to verify the accuracy of the listed usage,” she said.
An Ergon Energy spokesperson said the supplier was not aware of any technical issues involving smart meters, which are used in about 40 per cent of Cairns homes.
“It’s likely increases in power bills over summer have been driven by a combination of increased electricity use and QCA price rises that came into effect on 1 July last year,” she said.
“Ergon Energy Retail does not set electricity prices.
Jane Pires, the Queensland Energy and Water Ombudsman, said the jump in complaints was “expected” due to the rising cost of electricity and cost-of-living pressures.
“There are several reasons customers may receive a higher electricity bill than anticipated, including providers increasing costs, bills being charged on an estimated usage and catch-up bills being issued for previous estimated reads,” she said.
“If a customer thinks that their bill is too high or there was an error with their meter reading, they can request their provider to review the bill.”
More Coverage
Originally published as ‘Skyrocketing’ power bills lead to questions over Ergon smart meters
ICED OUT: Why cocaine is new king of meth-scarred cities
Meth’s decade-long reign of Queensland’s drug scene is over as experts warn white powder power is rising in its place. MAPPED HOTSPOTS, DRUG CRIMS NAMED
‘Been an honour’: Gallery director steps down after 14 years
From celebrating national artists to bringing international icons to the Far North, Cairns Art Gallery’s director has stepped down from the prestigious role after 14 years at the helm.