WA families already paying a premium for clean, green power will still be slugged with the carbon tax, despite renewable energy producing no greenhouse gas emissions.
In a blow to households doing their bit to help the environment, electricity retailer Synergy confirmed the carbon tax would be passed on to all its customers, including those who buy energy generated by solar and wind power.
The State-owned utility justified its decision after claiming it could not distinguish between renewable energy and energy produced from fossil fuels supplied to households.
Synergy has 7800 GreenPower customers, who can have up to 100 per cent of their power produced from renewable sources.
With the introduction of the carbon tax on Sunday, Synergy lifted its tariff for residential customers by 2.255¢ per kilowatt hour to cover the Federal Government’s $23 a tonne impost on emissions.
But instead of cutting the same amount off the 6.1¢ per kWh premium that households who opt for renewable energy are charged, Synergy has only shaved 0.65¢.
For an average household using 100 per cent renewable energy, the carbon tax will work out at $93 a year.
The Sustainable Energy Association has asked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to look at Synergy’s pricing, with association spokesman Ray Wills saying it was unfair to hit households trying to reduce their carbon footprint.
He said it devalued the purpose of the tax, which was to encourage investment in cleaner energy.
“There should be no carbon price on green power,” he said.
But Synergy’s strategy and corporate affairs manager Blair Stratton defended the decision.
“Our GreenPower customers receive a mix of energy - it’s impractical and too expensive to have separate powerlines from renewable-only sources and given the intermittency of renewable energy,” he said.
It came as the Federal Government renewed its criticism of Premier Colin Barnett for blocking Synergy and Horizon Power from sending households a pamphlet explaining that the carbon tax made up only $9 in every $100 in household power charges.
Mr Barnett said last month the plan amounted to “distributing propaganda”.
But Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said 19 energy retailers in other States had agreed to distribute the flyer to nine million homes in their next electricity bill.
The flyer cost taxpayers $130,000 to print.
“Unfortunately the WA and Queensland governments have blocked their State-owned electricity companies from delivering a simple factual leaflet,” he said.
