TASMANIANS can expect electricity price rises of 26 per cent over the next two-and-a-half years after the Tasmanian Economic Regulator released his final report into the state's electricity prices today.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The first price rise of 8.8 per cent will come into effect from December 1.
Regulator chairman Glenn Appleyard said that the report acknowledged the hardship that many of Aurora's customers were facing.
Mr Appleyard said that "given the concerns expressed at the impending price increase, especially those scheduled for December 1 this year, the regulator had decided to smooth the price increases evenly over the next two-and-a-half years".
He said that this meant that customers may expect an average price increase of 8.8 per cent on December 1, 2010, and similar increases of about 8.5 per cent on July 1, 20011, and 8.7 per cent on July 1, 2012 - assuming an inflation rate of 2.5 per cent for each of 2011-12 and 2012-13.
In the regulator's August report, it announced a 16 per cent rise over the next three years, starting in December. That figure, however, did not include inflation.
FULL REPORT IN THE EXAMINER TOMORROW
