ENERGY prices in Tamworth are the highest in the state, a St Vincent de Paul report reveals.
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At of combined cost of $4090 for electricity and gas per year, the country music capital’s energy prices are 16 per cent more expensive than other areas of NSW.
Given the severity of the drought residents need to look for places where they can make savings on energy North West Business Chamber regional manager Joe Townsend said.
“If we’re paying on average 16 per cent more than our counterparts, it’s not a worry but a question about why we have to bear the brunt of the cost of higher energy in comparison to other areas,” he said.
“To be honest we have to try to encourage other service providers to service the region to help increase the number of operators here and reduce the costs.”
The higher costs are largely due to limited suppliers driving up costs, wholesale costs determined by the owners of the infrastructure and the government subsidies for green energy adding tariffs on traditional energy sources.
While the government won’t subsidise green energy for homes, it’s worth considering with the annual bill expected to be around $800 to $1000 cheaper than non-solar users according to the Vinnies report.
Mr Townsend said one of the issues with energy companies is there’s little loyalty to customers.
“I had a business store using Energy Australia – she wasn’t getting any discount but she hopped online and there was a plan 27 per cent cheaper, nobody called her to offer that,” he said.
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“I guess the issue is that at the moment individuals and businesses are used to paying more and we shouldn’t get used to paying it.”
There are plenty of energy price comparison tools online and Mr Townsend suggests consumers check their bills for the best deal.
The NSW Business Chamber has released its own energy comparison tool at energy.nswbusinesschamber.com.au.