Aussies slugged with biggest bill ever if renewable rollout delayed: new analysis
The Climate Council
EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:00, 1 DECEMBER 2025
NEW ANALYSIS FROM the Climate Council shows that Aussies would pay an additional $4.5-6bn extra on their power bills if the renewable energy rollout is delayed.
While some politicians and commentators are falsely claiming that scrapping a net zero by 2050 commitment will somehow reduce household bills, this analysis proves that delaying the switch to renewable energy would in fact add another $4.5-6 billion every year onto household power bills.
This equates to an extra $449-$606 for every household on average.
Griffith University Associate Professor and Climate Council councillor, Joel Gilmore, said there is overwhelming evidence which shows that our reliance on fossil fuels is keeping prices higher than necessary.
“If you’re blaming renewables for high power bills, you’re pointing the finger in precisely the wrong direction,” Gilmore said.
“Coal and gas are making your power bill soar – renewables are the solution. The quicker we build new, low-cost renewables, the quicker we bring our bills under control.
“Every rooftop solar system, every heat pump, every electric appliance is money back in the pockets of Australian households.”
Climate Council Senior Advocacy Advisor, Ben McLeod, said that delaying replacing ageing infrastructure will cost significantly more than building out renewable energy capacity.
“The evidence shows that expensive and polluting gas is to blame for hiking prices higher than ever, while our ageing and unreliable coal-fired power stations are behind a series of severe price spikes hurting households and businesses,” McLeod said.
“More clean energy in the grid resulted in a significant drop in climate pollution within the electricity sector in the year to June 2025 and cheaper wholesale prices. In October this year, renewables hit a 50% share of electricity demand in our national grid for the first time.”
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ONLINE BRIEFING Get a breakdown of why power prices are rising, and how to lower them at our media briefing: what is in every household electricity bill and explore the market factors that affect the prices consumers pay. Power prices and politics: Sorting fact from fiction When: 12pm AEDT, Monday 1 December Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89407296353?pwd=3aPqaj6Tk6TYX4OCAQp5CaDp3Z42VO.1 Passcode: 154993 Facilitator: Climate Council Senior Economic and Policy Advisor, Ben McLeod Speakers: Dr Joel Gilmore - Climate Councillor and Griffith University Associate Professor Stephanie Bashir - Nexa Advisory Principal and Founder |
For more information contact Warwick Green at the Climate Council Media Team: [email protected] / 0439 647 144
Or [email protected] or call 0485 863 063
The Climate Council is Australia’s leading community-funded climate change communications organisation. We provide authoritative, expert and evidence-based advice on climate change to journalists, policymakers, and the wider Australian community.
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About us:
The Climate Council is Australia’s leading community-funded climate change communications organisation. We provide authoritative, expert and evidence-based advice on climate change to journalists, policymakers, and the wider Australian community.
For further information, go to: climatecouncil.org.au
Or follow us on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, X
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For interviews please contact the Climate Council media team on [email protected] or call 0485 863 063.