Smart meters to hurt poor

Alex de Vos
State Government’s new smart meters could slug disadvantaged Geelong residents with 30 per cent electricity price rises, a leading charity provider has warned.
St Vincent de Paul Society’s Gavin Dufty expected the meters to force up power costs for stay-at-home mothers with young children, aged pensioners, disabled residents, single parents and the unemployed.
Their costs would rise because the meters charged in half-hour blocks, so people at home during the day would pay more peak-period charges, which were higher than off-peak rates.
“It’s of particular concern in the Geelong area because it’s in the Powercor patch, which is the company rolling out the smart meters,” Mr Dufty said.
“The fixed charge is going up about $20 to $25 a bill and the price of electricity could rise as high as 30 per cent,” he warned.
St Vincent de Paul Society released a report this week exposing the hike in charges.
Mr Dufty urged Geelong residents to pay attention to their energy bills.
“Get on the phone and see if you can get a better deal or raise it with a local member of parliament,” he said.
Powercor described the meters as “beneficial”.
A spokesperson said the meters would allow consumers “to make informed decisions about when and how they consume electricity”.
“The old days of manual meter reads and estimated billing will be eliminated…the readings will be much more precise.”
State Government did not respond to the Independent’s call for comment.