HOUSEHOLDS that rely on daytime airconditioning, cooking and heating will be hit with higher power bills. This will occur as hi-tech "smart meters" are rolled out nationally.
Victorians are being slugged an average of $68 a year just for the remote digital meters to be installed -- even though barely 10 per cent of households have them.
Consumers are being billed upfront for the rollout to 2.5 million households, which is not due for completion before the end of 2013.
Other states and territories are trialling the devices, which send real-time readings to power companies every half-hour.
Utilities can then tailor their bills, to charge more for electricity used at peak times of demand during the day, and less at nights and weekends.
Victoria has stalled the new pricing system for at least nine months, after complaints from welfare and consumer groups that it would punish low-income families and pensioners.
The introduction of the smart meters comes in the wake of Australians' electricity bills rising 18.2 per cent last financial year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with a typical bill going up by as much as 27 per cent to $2012 in Victoria and 12 per cent to $2278 for rural NSW residents.
Posted by Big Gav
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