Graph of the Day: Australia’s soaring electricity prices

electricity prices rises

Our Graph of the Day this time focuses on the massive rises in electricity prices in Australia over the last five years, and how the compare with cities around the world.

This graph was included in Hong Kong-based CLP Holdings annual results, as part of its explanation for the profit slump in its local subsidiary EnergyAustralia.

This and the following graphs are fairly self explanatory. The first ones give the average rise in costs, the second the current prices in world cities, and the third is the cause for the sharp rise in NSW (mostly network).  The first graph shows electricity prices based on average consumption of 3,300kWh a year. It should be noted that Australian average consumption is about double that, although it is falling.

electricity prices rises

This second graph shows the comparison between cities. No wonder those cities featuring at the high end, and with at least a little sun, are proving to be among the most vibrant markets for rooftop solar PV.

electricity prices cities

And for those wondering what has been the cause of those price rises, here it is again in another format. This graph, also from EnergyAustralia, shows the component increase in NSW from 2007/08 to 2012/13. It’s pretty self explanatory, network costs accounted for half the bills five years ago, have accounted for around two thirds of the increase in the ensuing years, and now account for more than half of the current bill.

electricity prices components

Previously, on Graph of the day: How fossil fuels lose out to wind and solar

Comments

5 responses to “Graph of the Day: Australia’s soaring electricity prices”

  1. colin Avatar
    colin

    What does each coloured segment of the LH and RH bars represent. I assume green is network and dark blue maybe wholesale … but the rest?

    1. Chris Avatar
      Chris

      The middle five labels on the horizontal axis match by colour with the bars at left and right ends e.g. yellow for carbon tax (nonexistent in 2007/08) 🙂

  2. Mate Avatar
    Mate

    Son read the labels on the chart itself. Retail, Energy, Network, Carbon……wake up!!!

  3. Mike Stasse Avatar

    My computer says the graphs can’t be loaded because they contain errors.

  4. Swag420 #YOLO Avatar
    Swag420 #YOLO

    You are a massive bumder.

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