Simon Kennedy (Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Nowhere more than in our energy markets is the decline in living standards and the cost-of-living crisis demonstrated. This recently was driven home for me by Steve, from Caringbah South. After 30 years—three decades—with the same provider, suddenly Steve found his electricity bill doubling. Without consultation, his network, Ausgrid, moved him from a flat rate to a time-of-use plan. Energy Australia blamed Ausgrid. Ausgrid blamed Energy Australia. But Steve, like so many others, was left trapped in a plan he never chose, paying double. He's tried to change retailers. He can't. His meter is too old to be new, too new to be old and too old to be smart—a so-called dummy meter. Even after installing one of Mr Bowen's famed home batteries, he is still locked out of cheaper energy and still paying double.

For older Australians on fixed incomes, this isn't an inconvenience; it's system failure. It punishes loyalties and confuses customers. Steve and other people in my electorate are seeing their living standards erode, are seeing their money go less far and are struggling to get by week to week. Well, I'm here to fight for Steve. We're here to fight to keep this Labor government accountable.