❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses concerns about Synergy customers paying carbon tax on top of premiums for renewable energy (NaturalPower/GreenPower), inquiring about customer attrition, complaints, and Ombudsman involvement. The answer clarifies the application of the carbon tax and explains the nature of NaturalPower contributions.
AnsweredQoN 8824Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Why have Synergy customers that choose 100 per cent NaturalPower for their electricity consumption been forced to pay the carbon tax on top of the premium they pay for renewable energy?
(2) How many of Synergy's NaturalPower and GreenPower customers have stopped using this product since the introduction of the carbon tax?
(3) How many complaints has Synergy received from its green energy customers over paying the carbon tax on renewable energy products?
(4) How many complaints in relation to the treatment by Synergy of its NaturalPower and or GreenPower products have been lodged with the Energy Ombudsman?
(2) How many of Synergy's NaturalPower and GreenPower customers have stopped using this product since the introduction of the carbon tax?
(3) How many complaints has Synergy received from its green energy customers over paying the carbon tax on renewable energy products?
(4) How many complaints in relation to the treatment by Synergy of its NaturalPower and or GreenPower products have been lodged with the Energy Ombudsman?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
6 November 2012
Responded by
Minister representing the Minister for Energy
Response time
40 days
(1) Synergy is passing through carbon tax to customers who draw electricity from the grid as per Federal Clean Energy Future legislation.
Synergy supplies electricity to most of its residential customers (including those who choose to purchase GreenPower products) under the standard A1 tariff. The electricity that Synergy customers purchase under this tariff comes from a mix of generation sources, including coal, gas and renewable energy. As such, Synergy incurs costs associated with the Federal Government's carbon pricing mechanism in supplying electricity to all its residential customers.
The price customers pay for NaturalPower consists of a tariff component and a NaturalPower component. The tariff component is the standard A1 tariff. The NaturalPower component is the amount customers pay in addition to the tariff component, which Synergy uses to purchase the Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from nationally accredited GreenPower renewable sources.
This means that NaturalPower contributions are helping to support continued investment in the production of electricity from renewable sources (such as wind and solar power) over and above the Commonwealth Government's Renewable Energy Target. However, it does not mean that customers are being supplied with electricity that is produced from renewable sources.
(2) 628
(3) Synergy is not able to report the exact number of complaints specifically relating to the application of carbon tax to accounts of customers who opt for GreenPower product premiums to be applied to their account as it does not record this specific information in a separate complaint category.
(4) The Energy Ombudsman did not process complaints in relation to the Federal Clean Energy Future legislation as it was a policy matter beyond the organisation's influence.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
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Synergy supplies electricity to most of its residential customers (including those who choose to purchase GreenPower products) under the standard A1 tariff. The electricity that Synergy customers purchase under this tariff comes from a mix of generation sources, including coal, gas and renewable energy. As such, Synergy incurs costs associated with the Federal Government's carbon pricing mechanism in supplying electricity to all its residential customers.
The price customers pay for NaturalPower consists of a tariff component and a NaturalPower component. The tariff component is the standard A1 tariff. The NaturalPower component is the amount customers pay in addition to the tariff component, which Synergy uses to purchase the Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from nationally accredited GreenPower renewable sources.
This means that NaturalPower contributions are helping to support continued investment in the production of electricity from renewable sources (such as wind and solar power) over and above the Commonwealth Government's Renewable Energy Target. However, it does not mean that customers are being supplied with electricity that is produced from renewable sources.
(2) 628
(3) Synergy is not able to report the exact number of complaints specifically relating to the application of carbon tax to accounts of customers who opt for GreenPower product premiums to be applied to their account as it does not record this specific information in a separate complaint category.
(4) The Energy Ombudsman did not process complaints in relation to the Federal Clean Energy Future legislation as it was a policy matter beyond the organisation's influence.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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