Homes need help to get off gas

Environmental Activist Friends of the Earth Australia slams the federal government proposed $1.5b energy relief package as an encouraging start that doesn’t go far enough to help homes and businesses get off the gas.

On the eve of the parliamentary vote, Friends of the Earth No more gas Campaigner Freja Leonard said to stand up to industry bullying, and while government negotiations with the war-profiteering industry continue and calling for an urgent rethink.

As cost of living skyrockets and escalating energy prices put a pinch on household hip pockets — particularly for low income families — the relief package needs to be extended so as to ensure the community can afford to move away from gas permanently.

“Federal Government moves to cap gas prices and offer support for households experiencing bill shock is a powerful acknowledgement that energy prices have gotten out of hand for a great many Australians”, said Freja Leonard

“However, this is only a short-term solution. What lower-income homes and businesses really need right now is help to get off gas entirely. The Federal Government is essentially giving people a fish when they need to be teaching them how to fish”, Ms Leonard said.

On the other hand, Greenpeace Australia Pacific said Woodside’s extraordinary interjection into the national debate on capping soaring gas prices is an insult to Australians struggling with energy bills.

Jess Panegyres, Head of Clean Transitions at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said that Woodside’s response to price caps betrays how out of touch the company is with the serious financial problems gas prices are causing for many Australians.

“It’s insulting that Meg O’Neill, a CEO on a multi-million dollar salary, thinks she can cry poor about measures to curtail rampant gas industry price gouging while Australians face energy poverty as a result of soaring gas prices,” she said.

APPEA Chief Executive Samantha McCulloch said the reforms announced by the government on Friday evening fundamentally dismantle the efficient operation of Australia’s gas industry. It goes well beyond a temporary price cap and includes indefinite regulation into the prices in the Australian gas market. 

“ This is going to have a chilling effect on future investment in supply, and it’s that new investment in supply that is actually the key to bringing down prices for Australian households and Australian manufacturing”, She said

Meanwhile, ACOSS welcomes the agreement reached between the Federal Government and the Greens to a package in next year’s budget that will help electrify the homes of people on low incomes. This agreement is on top of the Government’s plan to cap gas and coal price and provide energy credits to people on low incomes included in the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Gas Prices) Bill 2022.

“This agreement between the Albanese Government and the Greens for the electrification of low-income housing is an important addition to the package of measures already proposed. The agreement will help people on low incomes move away from using gas for their heating, including hot water and cooking and deliver longer-term savings.” ACOSS CEO Dr. Cassandra Goldie said.

Shell on Tuesday said it had paused accepting bids for gas under a plan to boost supply for Australia's populous east coast in 2023 and 2024 while it assesses the government's proposal to cap gas prices.