Power bill credits will have to be considered by the State Government in coming years, the Premier has conceded, to prevent households from being slammed with a $700 rise in electricity.
Speaking ahead of the rollout of the combined State and Federal Government power bill relief from next Saturday, Roger Cook said a continuation of the scheme would form part a wider discussion around household fees and charges.
In the event the program is not renewed in the 2025 State Budget, households would be hit with an effective rise in the cost of living, not including other increases in the cost of electricity generation.
“What we’ll do is as we do as part of every budget is make sure that we look at that household bundle and what the increases or decreases in that household bundle might look like and obviously we will take that into account as part of the budgetary process,” Mr Cook said.
“Each year, we sit down and we consider how we can manage our budget for the benefit of Western Australians. That might be through increased spending in programs it might be through increased investments in schools, hospitals, and policing.
“But sometimes we also have to understand that some Western Australians are doing it tough and in those instances, we take the opportunity to assist.”
The first of two $350 discounts — which includes $400 from the Cook Government, and a further $300 from the Albanese Government — will automatically appear on customers’ next bill, starting from next Saturday.
The second $350 will be applied during summer.
Speaking outside the Yokine home of Rebecca and Murray Dunstan on Thursday, Mr Cook said the discount was important for families struggling with the cost of living.
It is WA’s fourth power bill rebate, the largest offered to households, and comes after the McGowan Government announced $600 off bills in 2020 in the wake of the Bell Group settlement.
Since then, Labor has repeatedly offered the $400 discounts to WA homes.
Ms Dunstan told reporters that the discount had come at a time when it was much needed for a lot of families.
“Everything is costing more and it’s not just one thing … it’s everything,” she said.
“That means that families are having to make really tough choices and it might not be ‘can I afford my house’, but it’s also things like ‘can I afford to put my kid in footy this year’.
Asked what her family intended to spend the discount on, Ms Dunstan said they would split it over multiple uses.
“My son loves footy, so part of it will have to go into the bills fund, but I’m hoping there might be a little bit extra for maybe a Harley Reid jersey or something something nice. Maybe some footy boots,” she said.
Households that receive a bill through a property owner and small businesses can apply for their eligible discount on the WA Government website.