ELECTRICITY DISCONNECTIONS
1204. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the minister representing the
Minister for Energy:
I refer to recent media reports in which the WA Council of
Social Services voiced concern about the increasing number of power
disconnections in Western Australia, with a record 22 000 disconnections last
financial year due to high power prices.
(1) How many disconnections occurred for the financial years
2015–16, 2016–17, and 2017–18?
(2) Of the 22 000 disconnections in 2018–19, how many
were in regional Western Australia?
(3) Does the
state government have any plans to alleviate high power prices and reduce the
record number of disconnections caused under the minister's watch?
Hon STEPHEN DAWSON
replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question. The following information has been provided to me by the Minister for
Energy.
(1) For Horizon Power, the number of disconnection in
2015–16 was 2 328; in 2016–17, 3 519; and in 2017–18, 3 193. The answer for Synergy is
in tabular form, so I seek leave to have it incorporated into Hansard.
Leave granted.
The following
material was incorporated —
|
FINANCIAL YEAR
|
RESIDENTIAL DISCONNECTIONS FOR NON-PAYMENT IN THE
SOUTH WEST INTERCONNECTED SYSTEM
|
|
2015/16
|
8,069
|
|
2016/17
|
14,109
|
|
2017/18
|
17,800
|
(2) There were
3 600 disconnections from Horizon Power's area. For a complete regional
Western Australian figure, Synergy's disconnections will need to be
added to this number. Synergy operates in the south west interconnected system,
which stretches from Kalbarri in the north to Kalgoorlie in the east and Albany
in the south. Although Synergy can undertake a postcode analysis to give a clearer
figure for regional areas, this question will take some time to answer and
would be better placed on notice.
(3) Yes.