Calling for an immediate halt on the rollout of the bungled ‘smart meter’ project, The Nationals Member for Murray Valley, Ken Jasper, said there is growing evidence the project is placing a massive financial burden on Victorian families, particularly pensioners and people on fixed incomes.

Mr Jasper said he had received numerous representations from concerned constituents angry at being charged as much as $152 this year for meters they hadn’t received, and which might not be installed for a number of years.

On top of that, it appears families will be paying an additional $300 in electricity charges each year once the meters are finally installed, he said; a lose/lose situation for the consumer, with the Auditor General noting there is a real risk the new meters will benefit the electricity industry at the expense of the consumers who paid for their installation.

The Auditor General has found the Smart Meter project has blown out from $800 million to a massive $2.5 billion due to delays, poor functionality, and poor risk management; and recommended the Government reassess the economic viability of the project by updating the cost-benefit analysis.

The Government is bringing these so-called Smart Meters into every home and small business in Victoria and we will be paying for that cost blow out through higher electricity charges, Mr Jasper said.

This is yet another example of mismanagement by the Victorian Government, following the public transport ticketing system [MYKI] fiasco and the implementation of the North South pipeline, shifting water from the distressed Goulburn system to Melbourne.

A petition has been launched calling for an immediate freeze on the roll out of smart meters across Victoria until it can be independently demonstrated that consumers will not be forced to pay for the Government’s mistakes in this project, and I urge Murray Valley residents to support this campaign, he said.