St Vincent de Paul is calling for equitable power bill reforms. 

In a new report, St Vincent de Paul has raised concerns about the burgeoning costs of green energy schemes in Australia, pointing out their disproportionate impact on lower-income and vulnerable households. 

The charity's latest research reportedly indicates a significant rise in electricity prices across all states in 2023, with Victoria experiencing a staggering 28 per cent increase. 

Central to the report's findings is the cost of green energy initiatives, such as the federal government's renewable energy targets and state-specific policies. 

These costs, now accounting for up to 12 per cent of a typical household energy bill, are increasingly being borne by consumers, with the highest annual cost in Victoria reaching $188 for a customer using 6,000-kilowatt hours.

The research highlights the inequity of the current system. Wealthier households can offset costs by adopting clean technologies like solar panels and batteries, but in contrast, poorer and rented households lack these options, bearing a disproportionate burden of the green transition costs.

The report suggests that the green scheme costs are not shared equitably and calls for a debate on how governments should pass on these costs. 

Options like funding through consolidated revenue and taxation or applying green scheme costs only above a certain usage threshold are being considered.

More information is available here.