[Greens-Media] PARNELL: Great big solar rip-off to begin again in SA?

[Wilkins, Craig]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Wednesday 24th July 2013

Great big solar rip-off to begin again in SA?

Fears are growing that a great big solar rort will soon re-commence in South Australia as big energy retailers look set to get away with not paying a fair price for the solar power they receive from SA households.

Currently, the Essential Services Commission sets a minimum 'fair and reasonable' price that big energy retailers have to pay to solar households when the household exports excess power from their roof to the grid*. However, ESCOSA has announced a review and has indicated they are considering forcing individual households to enter individual negotiations with big energy retailers to work out what price they will be paid.

"For years, big energy retailers got away with not paying a fair price for the green power they receive from solar households - power that they then on-sold at a premium to other SA customers - until the Greens forced the Government to get rid of the rort," said Greens Leader Mark Parnell.

"Now it appears that ESCOSA is looking to step away from their role of regulating feed-in tariff payments to customers.

"This simply won't work.  In NSW, the only other state that has done this, not one retailer is paying what the independent regulator there believes is a fair and reasonable price.

"Instead, removing the price protection will guarantee that retailers make a windfall profit at the expense of SA households.  It is quite possible that a retailer will choose to not pay anything at all," Mr Parnell said.

ESCOSA are currently conducting a review.  Submissions close on Friday (26/7/2013).

"I strongly urge all South Australians who have invested in solar power to make a submission to ESCOSA by Friday. The great big SA solar rip-off must not be allowed to start up again," said Mr Parnell.

More details of the ESCOSA review at http://www.escosa.sa.gov.au/
Solar Citizens advocacy group have an online submission process: http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/south-australian-government-we-need-a-fair-legislated-price-for-solar-in-sa

* This amount (currently 9.8c/kWh) is paid by the electricity retailer.  This is on top of the feed-in scheme payment (either 44c/kWh or 16c/kWh) that is paid by other SA households.

For further comment contact Craig Wilkins on 0434 007 893

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