The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has approved SA Power Networks (SAPN)’s 2019–20 network tariffs.
The network tariffs will rise by 10.2 per cent, ensuring that SAPN has sufficient revenue to provide safe and reliable network services in the 2019-20 financial year.
These network tariffs implement the last year of the AER’s 2015 decision that set the maximum revenue SAPN could recover from its customers over the five year period (2015-20).
In the 2015 decision the AER determined that SAPN was entitled to recover $3.8b from its customers to operate a safe and reliable network. This amount was about 10 per cent less than what the company was entitled to recover over the 2010-15 period and 15 per cent less than what SAPN had requested.
The latest decision on SAPN’s 2019-20 network tariffs will result in no increase in overall revenue for SAPN for 2015-20.
AER has stated that the decision does not impact the DMO prices which the AER set last month for customers on standing offers in South Australia.
Network tariffs are one component that make up a retail bill. Other retail bill components are forecast to go down over the year starting from 1 July 2019, essentially offsetting the increase in network tariffs. Therefore the AER would expect retailers to take this into account when developing their market offers going forward.
Notwithstanding this, the AER acknowledges that affordability continues to be a concern for South Australian households and businesses.
The AER Communication Director, Prudence Anderson, said “It’s important, more now than ever, for customers to understand what’s out in the market and shop around for the best deals using our independent EnergyMadeEasy website.”
The approved network tariffs will take effect from 1 July 2019.
