My understanding is that it there are two main reasons for the escalation in energy costs to the general public:
- the relatively large number of (affluent) people who have swung to solar, which reduces the cash inflow to the energy providers;
- the need to spend large amounts of money to update equipment, due to the fact that various State Governments, over half a century, have gouged the revenue from the various State Energy Instrumentalities. This left very little money to upgrade and properly service their equipment.
A prime example of this fiscal'gouging' policy is the Federal Government's recent imposition of a 'Special Dividend' from Medibank of approx. $300 million.
We are now paying the price for this political ineptitude and greed!