CANBERRA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Wednesday launched a crackdown on the nation's major energy companies, announcing new consumer protection measures to prevent customers from being ripped off.
In response to rising electricity prices which have left "millions" of Australians with bill stress, Turnbull summoned the heads of all the nation's major power retailers to come up with ways to make the process cheaper and easier to understand.
Currently, Australians pay on average 20.4 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour, compared to 8.49 U.S. cents in Canada and 12.5 U.S. cents in the United States.
Speaking at a press conference in Canberra, Turnbull said the government would make it mandatory for energy companies to transparently tell the consumers when their discounted plans are ending and how much more they will be required to pay once the plan automatically rolls over.
Turnbull said Australians don't have time - nor should they be required to - to chase up sneaky rises in their power bills, telling the press that the onus was now on the energy companies.
"Basically, they will be required to write to you and say, 'You are coming to the end of your plan. If you don't do anything, based on your consumption over the last year, it will cost you $X more (this year)...' and refer you to a comparative website," Turnbull explained.
"It is designed to prompt the customer to focus on the issue ... (and) people will, once they realize how much it is going to cost."
Other measures approved include the use of plain, clear English when describing power bills and their alternatives, the requirement that energy companies must point customers to a price comparison website to ensure they're getting the best deal, and new "hardship programs" for those struggling to pay their bills.
