Power, water, gas to cost more
TWEED residents are in for a shock when they receive their bills in the new financial year, with electricity to rise by an average 17.3%.
The state-wide hikes will be the most painful of the price changes coming into force in the new financial year, which will also herald rises to water and gas.
Premier Barry O'Farrell said the new financial year would mark a turning point for his three-month-old government, which wanted to ease cost of living pressures.
When the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal finalised its price determinations earlier this year, it said the massive increases would be “difficult for many families to deal with”.
Despite Energy Australia power bills rising by 17.9%, Integral Energy bills by 15.5% and Country Energy by 18.1%, there will be some welcome relief for low income households.
The Coalition government is offering a $200 energy rebate to help pensioners and those with a health-care or gold card cope with rising power prices.
