The ACT Greens have asked the consumer watchdog to investigate ActewAGL’s Green Choice premium.
They have written to the Australian Competition Consumer Commission (ACCC) with concerns that the Green Choice premium has remained unchanged since 2002, despite green energy and solar prices dropping.
Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury says solar prices have fallen by 80 per cent in the past five years and wind is nearly at grid parity.
Mr Rattenbury says he expects that the premium price for green power would have fallen to reflect the change in the market.
“Recently Origin Energy has cut their premium by 44 per cent, so at the least ActewAGL should explain to its customers that why, given the reduced price of renewable energy, the premium they’re paying to purchase green power is not falling at the same time,” he said.
The ACCC is already investigating complaints from ActewAGL customers about the carbon price being added to Green Choice energy.
Chairman Rod Sims says green products are sold as an add-on to the average price, which covers the additional cost of supporting green energy products.
He says the foundation price has increased under the carbon tax.
“If you buy green energy you have helped create additional projects that wouldn’t have happened and you can feel good about that,” he said.
“But the way the price is constructed, the way the scheme is constructed by the policy makers, is that additional amount you pay is added on to the average price.”
