Friday 31 July 2009
A DECISION by Synergy to significantly increase the cost of
renewable energy as from tomorrow (1 August 2009) has outraged
environmental groups, scientists and the general public.
Principal of Ecotect-Architects Mr Garry Baverstock said the
unsubstantiated and unpublicised price hike is sending shock waves
through the renewable energy sector and supporters of green energy
initiatives.
"While Synergy customers are still coming to terms with the
recent 25 per cent price rise that took place on 1 April and 1 July
respectively, people buying green energy are soon to be slugged
with up to a further 20 per cent price hike," said Mr
Baverstock.
"This means if you are buying green energy from Synergy you can
now expect to pay close to double what you were paying six months
ago," he said.
Mr Baverstock said Synergy offered three main green options to
residential consumers: EasyGreen where one could pay for 'blocks'
of green power; NaturalPower where one pays a few extra cents for
every kilowatt-hour (kWh) and Earth Friendly which is a carbon
offset choice.
"Yet each green option has new charges," he said. "If you
previously bought blocks of green power valued at $30 on an
EasyGreen plan you were given 682kWh, yet as of tomorrow you will
only receive 492kWh which is significantly less green energy for
your money.
"If you are on a NaturalPower plan you are currently paying an
extra 4.4 cents per kilowatt-hour and as tomorrow you will be
paying 6.1 cents per kilowatt-hour," he said.
Mr Baverstock said this decision by Synergy to specifically
target green energy supporters did not add up and he queried
whether its calculations were a true reflection of cost increases
at wind farms connected to the electricity grid.
He said the government entity promoted itself as being committed
to the environment, to the community and to its customers, yet he
wondered how many people believed this statement.
"If anything, there should be no difference in whether a person
wants to buy renewable or non-renewable power," said Mr
Baverstock.
Mr Gary Warden, a NaturalPower consumer and Al Gore Ambassador
said the Synergy price hike will reinforce Western Australia's
position as the worst in the country in regard to adapting to green
power.
"Unlike other Australian states and territories, Western
Australia is in an unenviable position as being the least
supportive of green energy consumption in this country.
"According to the Federal Government's GreenPower program and
ABS data less than one per cent of Western Australians purchase
green energy compared to 16 per cent in Victoria; between 12 and 13
per cent in Queensland and South Australia; and between eight and
nine per cent in New South Wales and the Australian Capital
Territory," said Mr Warden.
"If anything, we Western Australians and our representative
government enterprises need to take a long hard look at ourselves
to see what we can do to catch up with the rest of Australia," he
said.
.../ Ends
Further
Information
Mr Garry Baverstock: Tel: 0419 965227
Mr Gary Warden: Tel: 0419 586765
(Journalist) Jacinta Goerke: Tel: 0412
338813