Help us tell the court what electricity consumers really think

And this also applies to the cost of your utilities: How to How to tell your government is absolute rubbish? You pay for filling your tank of petrol the same price you paid when the wholesale price of a barrel in Singapore was AUD120: it oscillates now between $53 & $60 ! 

I am 60 and work part time, my wage only covering my bills - have to go into my savings to afford clothing/holidays/car major services. I agree that the power poles need to go underground but as usual we are up against those seeking political re-election, no matter what party. Whatever happened to "for the good of aussies paying taxes and for the good of the country/state? 

I think it's ridiculous that I have to call my provider to get a better deal. Why can't they just give customers a good price without everyone having to bargain with them. Older people especially are easy prey for big companies. 

It is difficult for uneducated people like myself to comment on the broad-spectrum questions in the survey. How would we know whether the power companies have taken our interests into consideration in their long range planning? I am not privy to their strategy discussions and decisions I know nothing about the infrastructure of the Industry and its constraints and costs. I do not understand what the 'Law of the Lid' is, as quoted by Paul from NSW, so I cannot even follow the arguments of your commentators I would opine that most expenditure challenges that we face are purely at a personal level. Do I earn enough to pay escalating power costs? Do I earn enough to pay escalating food costs, Do I earn enough to pay escalating insurance costs? I am 75 and still working to keep warm in the winter Such is life 

Providing power at an affordable price isn't difficult. The power companies are driven by profit and do not care what we think and that is just the start of the problem. The Govt does not seem to understand this either. Power is not a luxury, it is essential and it should be up there is the top considerations and concerns of the Govt so until we give them blackouts and power restrictions they won't get it. The Law of the Lid is firmly stuck low with these bureaucrats. I saw during the Howard era a project presented by the CSIRO that would have produced unlimited hydrogen to power everything in this country (yes, there were still a few challenges to overcome) but it was dismissed due to it's threat to taxes and exports from coal etc. So it was't the fact that it would cost $50 billion to establish, it was a matter that they couldn't see the benefit to industry and the future growth of Australia with a clean and unlimited energy supply and no reliance on Middle East oil and enormous benefits from the technology itself. Just how ignorant and shortsighted our politicians are. To be a lawyer or a politician you should first have to experience life in a real profession or trade where you are actually required to serve others for at least 20 years so you understand humanity and how your decisions impact others. 

Foe too long the energy companies have been milked by the state government. And who pays for that? The consumer. And why is the taxpayer subsidising the companies that want to put in wind turbines? Let them pay for them. We pay twice, subsidy and then our bills. Not fair! 

The ongoing and increasing cost of maintenance of power lines, preventative maintenance in bushfire areas and repairs to power supplies from storm and other damage could be offset in the long term by gradually putting power lines underground. Placing power lines underground may be expensive maintenance in the short term but in the long term will lead to vastly reduced costs of repair to electricity infrastructure caused by the increasing violence of storms as our climate changes due to the global warming phenomenon. I'm pretty sick and tired of the short-sighted, selfish and reactionary approach to our national infrastructure that is exhibited by various governments and their departments just to meet the next quarterly projections and so make themselves look "fiscally responsible" and thus gain re-election. We need people with some guts and vision to take charge. 

When I complained to my provider that my account was far too expensive for a single person I was informed that my account would go up every year even if I switched every electrical appliance OFF. He then told me it did not matter what I did I could not change it. I informed him that I could I would change providers and this country is still a democracy and he could not stop me doing that. 

I am truly amazed that the power companies have only just woken up to solar! BVusily feathering their nest(s) by gold plating the network when is has been clear for a LONG TIME that energy requirements were falling due to Aussies voting with their feet (wallets?) to put in solar. next stage will be batteries (Tesler/panasonic Lithium ion and/or salt water batteries). They have been relying on our ignorance. Now they are squealing because (suddenly) they are not making their anticipated fortune! 

Lets take a look at after tax profits. That will put paid to the argument that the providers cant maintain the system without more money