NSW auditor-general Peter Achterstraat declared the profits of electricity companies increased by $100 million in the past financial year and yet power bills are rising.
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Now, we know the auditor has some fiscal credibility, because he was the one who announced the NSW budget result was $1 billion better off than predicted in the 2012-13 budget papers.
Hopefully he will be aware of, and feel the pain felt by, people like Dubbo pensioner Joan Teale, who said she almost had a heart attack when she received her last power bill of nearly $900.
Mrs Teale said her household had done everything it could to conserve energy, installing solar panels and insulation, but they were still hit hard with rising electricity prices.
There has been plenty of debate about the impact of the federal carbon tax; while it is easily argued it has contributed to part of the price rise, there were bigger and more frequent rises imposed on the users prior to July 1 when the carbon pricing arrangement was enacted.
You have to feel for these people who were trying to do the right thing and spoke with the electricity providers only to be told they should seek charity to get themselves out of a bind.
That's such a put down to two people who are probably proud of their lifetime contribution only to be patronised by a faceless individual over the telephone.