Benchmark power prices are set to rise in much of the country, prompting new speculation more power bill relief may be on the way. Prices are going up by nearly nine percent for some households. It's left the government weighing up whether another round of 300-dollar energy rebates might be called for.
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00:00Another round of power price pain.
00:07We know Australians, like people right around the world, are doing it tough.
00:11Across much of the country, benchmark power prices are climbing.
00:15In New South Wales, the default offer for ordinary households is lifting by up to 8.8%,
00:20depending on your region.
00:22In South East Queensland, it's climbing 5.8%.
00:25And in South Australia, it's going up 5.1%.
00:29Victoria, which has a different regulator, is seeing prices rise by less than 1% on average.
00:35That's largely being driven by particularly gas prices.
00:39That's going to create real difficulty for many small businesses who are already doing
00:43it very tough.
00:45Landing just weeks out from an election campaign, it's quickly become political.
00:50Because of Anthony Albanese's energy policy, your electricity bill is going to go up by
00:559%.
00:56That's another 9%.
00:57That's not a $275 cut, which is what the Prime Minister promised you before the last
01:01election.
01:02Peter Dutton arguing for nuclear power, but barely mentioning the nuclear bit.
01:07We have to have a balanced and sensible energy system, and if we do that, we can bring downward
01:12pressure on energy prices.
01:14Every bit of renewable energy you introduce puts downward pressure on prices.
01:19And if you are planning on keeping coal in the grid for longer, that puts upward pressure
01:22on prices.
01:23The cost of living, and power bills, is on the minds of voters.
01:27I'm coping with them, but they're quite high.
01:30I don't know how I will be able to manage it.
01:32I can't afford to pay that much, heaps.
01:35Most people don't pay the default offer, and the government wants households to shop around
01:39for the best deal.
01:40It's also now weighing whether it will, again, knock $300 off household power bills.
01:46I'm determined to provide cost of living relief wherever we can.
01:49You can keep giving $300, but as we see today, you then push electricity prices up by $1,300.
01:56A few billion dollars to take a few hundred dollars off power bills will be a tempting
02:00option for a government preparing an unexpected budget.
02:03Peter Dutton remains concerned about inflation, but might not stand in the way weeks out from
02:08an election being called.