Explore alternatives as soaring energy costs hit home

Given the coming election and the debate about the cost of power, Brad Thompson’s coverage of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s inquiry into the National Electricity Market is timely (“Four in five pay too much for their electricity”, 31/12). While it’s true electricity prices are relatively high, the energy regulator’s data shows extreme price volatility in recent times due to issues of supply and demand, and global price volatility for fossil fuels. Because 65 per cent of Australia’s electricity is still fossil-fuel dependent, world coal and gas prices affect our electricity prices.

From an immediate cost-of-living perspective, the inquiry found that while “prices for all offer types combined fell across all regions in 2024 except for South East Queensland”, the bills of customers on “time of use offers” decreased on average by 5.5 per cent, and that most customers could save money by shopping around. Clearly a job for the to-do list as we begin a new year.

Ray Peck, Hawthorn, Vic

In his report Brad Thompson advises of a “41 per cent rise in wholesale energy costs”. It will be interesting to see some more detail about this staggering increase. Energy Minister Chris Bowen should be required to explain to the Australian people the exact details of the cause of this 41 per cent increase in wholesale energy costs and to what extent he and his Labor government policies are responsible for it.

Clive Jensen, Merewether, NSW

In 2024, Australia earned $138bn from coal exports and $68bn from gas. To put that in perspective, in 2022 Australia’s entire hospital system cost about $97bn. If coal and gas exports decrease as the developed world goes nuclear, the loss of export earnings will constrain Australia’s ability to fund essential services.

Fortunately Australia also holds the largest known uranium reserves and supplies uranium to 43 countries for peaceful energy use only. BHP’s giant Olympic Dam copper, gold and uranium mine in South Australia showcases Australia’s world-leading uranium mining and process engineering talent and sits on the largest known uranium deposit. Australia can continue to be the world energy superpower if over time it transfers from coal and gas to nuclear fuel supply as the world expands nuclear power. Why should Kazakhstan and Canada get all the wealth when Australia has the largest uranium reserves? All it needs is government export permission and the repeal of Labor’s 1984 three uranium mine policy for Australia to again become an energy superpower.

Ian Brake, Mackay, Qld

Never before has the outlook for economic growth and productivity looked so gloomy. All Jim Chalmers has to offer is a continuation of the unsustainable practice of hand-outs to help make up for government policy failures. Meanwhile, Energy Minister Chris Bowen continues to transform Australia into a renewables wonderland where unaffordable and unreliable renewable energy snuffs out any prospect of industrial investment, innovation and growth. In the US, electricity and gas prices are already half and one-third of those in Australia, corporate tax rates substantially lower and productivity levels substantially higher. Under the scenario of a Labor-Greens government from 2025, I doubt if there will be much industry left here by the end of Donald Trump’s four-year term.

Ron Hobba, Camberwell, Vic

In response to Anthony Albanese’s claim that natural disasters have become “more frequent” and “more intense” under his term of government, Graham Lloyd rebuts the Prime Minister’s climate change rhetoric as climate trends can be measured only over a much longer timeframe (“Albanese’s climate sideshow is short on hard facts”, 30/12). Political trends, however, can be measured on a much shorter three-year time­frame, and the Australian electorate soon will have an opportunity to vote on the central question of whether the Albanese Labor government could be classified as a natural disaster. Policy disasters certainly have become more frequent and more intense under Albanese’s prime ministership, whether on cost of living, high inflation, high government spending, low productivity, energy ideology, high immigration, social cohesion, non-citizen criminals in the community, and contentious positions on foreign affairs.

Neil Hair, Beacon Hill, NSW