State will enjoy stable electricity and natural gas prices in coming year

17/4/98

Western Australia's households and businesses will enjoy stable electricity and natural gas prices from Western Power and AlintaGas in the coming year.

Energy Minister Colin Barnett said today that Western Power's 655,000 residential customers around the State, and 102,000 business customers on the South West Interconnected Grid, would see no change in their electricity bills this year.

AlintaGas tariffs for its 386,000 natural gas household customers around WA and 7,100 business customers will also remain unchanged.

Mr Barnett said the Government was pleased to be able to deliver unchanged electricity and natural gas tariffs for the majority of energy customers this year alongside significant reforms in the energy industry, including the successful sale of the Dampier-to-Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline and continuing deregulation reforms.

"WA electricity and natural gas customers have reaped significant real savings since 1992-93," the Minister said.

"The average residential electricity customer has seen a $53 real saving per annum (ie: after allowing for inflation) on their bill compared to 1992-93.

"In the business sector, customers have reaped real savings of 18.9 per cent compared to 1992-93 prices. This equates to effectively $170 million of real savings across the business sector each year.

"Similarly, the average residential natural gas customer has seen a $31 real saving per annum on their bill compared to 1992-93. Businesses on average have seen real savings of 10 per cent compared to 1992-93 prices. This equates to real savings of $1.5 million across approximately 7,000 business customers each year.

Mr Barnett said there would be some changes to regional tariffs (ie: Kalgoorlie and Albany) for AlintaGas and a new charge for Western Power implemented in the coming financial year. In electricity this is:

+ a fee of $794 for the installation of an R1 time-of-use meter for commercial customers, overing approximately 87 per cent of the full cost of the service of purchasing and installing the meter.

This year, natural gas will be available for the first time to people in Kalgoorlie with construction of a $3.75 million natural gas reticulation system. In Albany, AlintaGas will begin workon a $3.2 million upgrade of its gas supply system.

Mr Barnett said both initiatives would bring major benefits to households and businesses and allow increased energy choices and cheaper prices when compared to bottled LPG.

As previously announced:

+ the price of gas for householders in Kalgoorlie-Boulder will be approximately six per cent per gigajoule more than Perth consumers and for commercial customers, the price of gas will be approximately four per cent higher than in the South-West; and -

+ the price of liquefied petroleum gas in Albany will increase 10 per cent when the upgrade is completed in March next year.

Mr Barnett said that electricity prices for large businesses in regional areas not connected to the South West Interconnected Grid were currently under review and any tariff changes would be announced later in the year.

Media contacts: Justine Whittome, Minister's office, (08) 9222 9699

Peter Winner, Western Power, (08) 9326 4597

Cheyenne Martin, AlintaGas, (08) 9486 3360