Stark warning Australians may soon have to RATION electricity

Australia may face power rationing like Europe if the government doesn’t get its policies right, Opposition leader Peter Dutton has warned.

Europe has been gripped by an energy crisis as Russia’s war on Ukraine pushes up gas prices, with UK household power bills set to soar by 80 per cent in October.

Cities in Germany have turned off spotlights on monuments, switched off fountains and banned hot water at public pools and sports halls to conserve electricity.

This winter Aussies have endured power bill increases of between five per cent and 20 per cent – but Mr Dutton has warned there could be worse to come if the government is not careful.  

‘There’s talk in our country of rationing or of lights going out like we’ve seen in Germany,’ he told reporters on Tuesday.

‘The pressure you’re seeing on families in the United Kingdom at the moment. That’s essentially a picture to the future of what is going to happen here unless the government gets the policy settings right.’

Mr Dutton did not propose any policies the government should adopt, but slammed Labor for walking away from its election promise to reduce power bills by $275 a year by 2025.

‘It’s clear the government has no plan to help Australian families under pressure at the moment,’ he said.

‘That pressure is mounting. Petrol prices are about to go up by 22 cents a litre when they end the excise and there’s nothing here the government is offering by way of support to families at the moment. 

‘Only excuses. They promised before the election they had a plan and they’ve never mentioned it since.’ 

Cities in Germany have turned off spotlights on monuments, switched off fountains and banned hot water at public pools and sports halls to conserve electricity. Pictured: Berlin Cathedral

The energy regulator was forced to suspend the national electricity market for a week in June to make sure swathes of Australia didn’t suffer blackouts.

Last month Resources Minister Madeleine King opened up 47,000km of Australian waters for fossil fuel exploration in a bid to avoid any future domestic gas shortfalls. 

Over the long term, the government wants Australia to become a renewable energy superpower, generating 80 per cent of its energy from renewable sources such as solar and wind by 2030.

Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of Australia board is expected to lift the official cash rates for the fifth month in a row when it meets on Tuesday.

Provided banks pass on rate hikes to customers, another interest rate increase this month will lead to higher repayment for variable rate mortgage holders.

For a typical mortgage holder with a $750,000 debt and 25 years to go on their loan, RateCity data shows another 0.5 percentage point hike will see them pay $922 more a month than they were in May before rates started rising. 

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton speaks during House of Representatives Question Time