The Essential Services Commission of SA (ESCOSA) has been asked to conduct an inquiry into the retail prices of the State’s energies.
Set out by the State Government, the Commission’s terms of reference require it to consider evidence of, or the potential for, a party (retailer, generator, trading entity or relevant other party) in the electricity and/or gas industry earning or having earned super profits at the expense of South Australian energy consumers, having regard to certain criteria.
Conducting the inquiry, the Commission is to seek public views and evidence to inform the Inquiry Report and provide it to the Minister for Energy and Mining by 1 May.
According to the Commission, the Government of South Australia is concerned about the actual and potential price rises related to electricity and gas and the impact it is having on South Australians.
It said that while global factors like the war in Ukraine have affected international energy costs, the community must understand the reasons behind the cost rises.
Additionally, the Government has observed little transparency on how the level and timing of global price rises have affected domestic prices facing South Australian consumers and has therefore asked the Commission to commence a statutory Inquiry into that as well.
The Commission has invited members of the community to share any issues they think may be relevant to the Terms of Reference by completing the YourSay survey by Friday of this week, 17 March.
It said it would consider the feedback and include major consumer themes in preparing the Report for the Inquiry into Retail Energy Prices due to deliver to the Minister for Energy and Mining by 1 May.
Readers planning to offer comments or evidence about the retail prices of the State’s energies can do so on the yoursay website at this PS News link.
