Tasmania is facing a crisis in the affordability of electricity.  Prices have risen by nearly 30% since January 2008, and a further increase of nearly 9% will occur in December 2010.  In the long term, prices are expected to rise even further, with more than $42 billion worth of infrastructure nationally that must be funded over the next five years.  As Tasmania is part of the national electricity market, we will be affected by this, as well as by the price increases that will result from the price on carbon needed to effectively respond to climate change.  Rising prices are already causing financial crisis for some Tasmanians and the problem will only grow along with the cost of electricity.
 
However, there are things that the Tasmanian Government can do.  This Action Plan from Anglicare and TasCOSS contains solutions — four specific actions that the Government can take that will make a big difference to how much impact these rising prices have on all Tasmanians and especially on low income earners.