electricity, Electricity Prices
Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
It doesn’t matter how electricity is generated, as long as prices don’t go up, and the supply is secure
| Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
| Strongly agree | 24% | 30% | 18% | 21% | 28% | 23% | 18% | 29% | 13% | 33% |
| Somewhat agree | 23% | 23% | 23% | 23% | 27% | 19% | 26% | 26% | 11% | 15% |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 24% | 22% | 27% | 27% | 23% | 23% | 23% | 22% | 26% | 25% |
| Somewhat disagree | 18% | 16% | 19% | 18% | 14% | 21% | 19% | 17% | 23% | 17% |
| Strongly disagree | 11% | 10% | 13% | 12% | 8% | 14% | 14% | 6% | 27% | 10% |
| TOTAL: Agree | 47% | 53% | 41% | 44% | 55% | 42% | 43% | 55% | 23% | 48% |
| TOTAL: Disagree | 29% | 26% | 32% | 30% | 22% | 35% | 33% | 23% | 51% | 28% |
| Base (n) | 1,034 | 528 | 506 | 329 | 320 | 385 | 322 | 430 | 88 | 107 |
electricity, electricity costs, Renewable energy target
Do you think a 50% renewable target will mean higher or lower electricity costs?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | Approve 50% target | Dis-approve 50% target | |||
| Higher costs | 51% | 45% | 67% | 42% | 48% | 48% | 82% | ||
| Lower costs | 18% | 22% | 11% | 25% | 19% | 24% | 10% | ||
| Much higher costs | 24% | 12% | 42% | 8% | 27% | 13% | 71% | ||
| A little higher costs | 27% | 33% | 25% | 34% | 21% | 35% | 11% | ||
| A little lower costs | 12% | 14% | 8% | 16% | 15% | 16% | 5% | ||
| Much lower costs | 6% | 8% | 3% | 9% | 4% | 8% | 5% | ||
| Make no difference to costs | 11% | 13% | 8% | 20% | 13% | 14% | 5% | ||
| Don’t know | 19% | 20% | 14% | 14% | 19% | 15% | 3% |
51% think that a 50% renewable target will mean higher electricity costs and 18% think it will mean lower costs. 11% think it will make no difference.
Of those who approve the Labor Party’s 50% renewable target 48% think it will mean higher electricity costs and 24% think it will mean lower costs – although only 13% think it will mean much higher costs.
05 February 2013, 050213, clothing, cost of living, Education, electricity, food, Housing, insurance, petrol, Water
Q. Compared to two or three years ago is your household paying more or less for the following –
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Paying a lot more |
|||
|
Paying a lot more |
Paying a little more |
Paying about the same |
Paying a little less |
Paying a lot less |
Don’t know |
Own home outright |
Own home with mortgage |
Renting |
|
| Petrol |
50% |
33% |
11% |
2% |
1% |
4% |
44% |
49% |
55% |
| Fresh food – fruit, vegetables, meat |
36% |
43% |
16% |
4% |
* |
2% |
33% |
35% |
41% |
| Packaged food |
28% |
39% |
24% |
4% |
* |
4% |
26% |
27% |
33% |
| Electricity and gas |
70% |
22% |
4% |
1% |
1% |
2% |
69% |
73% |
71% |
| Housing – mortgage or rent |
24% |
22% |
29% |
10% |
3% |
12% |
10% |
21% |
40% |
| Insurance |
43% |
36% |
14% |
1% |
1% |
5% |
48% |
47% |
35% |
| Water |
47% |
32% |
14% |
1% |
1% |
6% |
48% |
54% |
38% |
| Clothing |
21% |
30% |
37% |
9% |
1% |
2% |
17% |
21% |
25% |
| Education |
24% |
20% |
27% |
3% |
3% |
23% |
15% |
28% |
26% |
| Medical, dental |
33% |
33% |
27% |
2% |
* |
3% |
33% |
35% |
34% |
Items which respondents said they were “paying a lot more” for were electricity and gas (70%), petrol (50%), water (47%) and insurance (43%).
Homeowners had similar responses to the total sample, but the main things renters were paying a lot more for were electricity and gas (71%), petrol (55%), fresh food (41%) and housing (40%).
10 December 2012, 101212, electricity, gas, power usage decrease, power usage increase
Q. And as far as you know, over the last few years, has your gas and/or electricity usage increased, decreased or stayed much the same?
| Total increased |
54% |
| Total decreased |
16% |
| Increased a lot |
24% |
| Increased a moderate amount |
15% |
| Increased a little |
15% |
| Stayed about the same |
26% |
| Decreased a little |
11% |
| Decreased a moderate amount |
3% |
| Decreased a lot |
2% |
| Don’t know |
4% |
54% say their power usage has increased over the last few years, 16% say it has decreased and 26% think it has stayed much the same.
Change in usage was similar across all ages except the 65+ group where 39% thought their usage had increased, 22% decreased and 38% stayed much the same.
Among Greens voters, 42% said their usage had increased, 24% decreased and 30% stayed much the same. There were no substantial differences across income groups.
56% of those with air conditioning or evaporative cooling said their power usage had increased compared with 45% of those without air conditioning or evaporative cooling.
10 December 2012, 101212, electricity, low cost, operate by government, power generation, private companies, secure energy
Q. Which is closer to your view?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Power generation and distribution should be operated by private companies, because they are more efficient and competition will keep prices down |
24% |
20% |
31% |
9% |
| Power generation and distribution should be operated by government, because it is not motivated by profit and will keep our energy supply secure |
56% |
66% |
52% |
68% |
| Don’t know |
19% |
13% |
17% |
23% |
56% agree that power generation and distribution should be operated by government and 24% think they should be operated by private companies.
Liberal/National voters (31%) were most likely to support operation by private companies while highest support for Government operation came from Labor voters (66%), Greens voters (68%) and respondents aged 45+ (63%).
20 August 2012, 200812, cost increase, electricity, Federal Government, power, power companies, responsible, state government
Q. Who do you think is mainly responsible for electricity and gas prices?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Increased a lot |
Increased a moderate amount |
Increased a little |
Stayed the same or decreased |
|
| The Federal Government |
28% |
16% |
40% |
18% |
40% |
22% |
19% |
22% |
| The State Government |
23% |
27% |
21% |
28% |
23% |
28% |
21% |
18% |
| The power companies |
37% |
50% |
28% |
42% |
32% |
42% |
44% |
38% |
| Don’t know |
12% |
7% |
10% |
12% |
6% |
9% |
17% |
21% |
37% think the power companies are mainly responsible for electricity and gas prices, 28% think the Federal Government is mainly responsible and 23% think the State Governments are mainly responsible.
Those who think power prices have increased a lot are more likely to think the Federal Government is mainly responsible (40%), while those who think prices have increased a moderate amount, a little or not at all think the power companies are mainly responsible.
50% of Labor voters think the power companies are mainly responsible and 40% of Liberal/National voters think the Federal Government is mainly responsible.
electricity, ER, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Nuclear Power, nuclear power plants, Polling
Q. Do you support or oppose Australia developing nuclear power plants for the generation of electricity?
| 27 Jan 2009 | 20 Dec 2010 | 21 Mar 2011 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 43% | 43% | 35% | 39% | 31% | 50% | 27% |
| Total oppose | 35% | 37% | 53% | 45% | 53% | 37% | 68% |
| Strongly support | 14% | 16% | 12% | 13% | 7% | 20% | 9% |
| Support | 29% | 27% | 23% | 26% | 24% | 30% | 18% |
| Oppose | 21% | 21% | 21% | 22% | 27% | 18% | 25% |
| Strongly oppose | 14% | 16% | 32% | 23% | 26% | 19% | 43% |
| Don’t know | 22% | 19% | 13% | 16% | 16% | 13% | 6% |
45% oppose Australia developing nuclear power plants for the generation of electricity and 39% support. This is a considerable shift in opinion since this question was last asked in March following the problems with the nuclear power plants in Japan after the tsunami. However, there remains net opposition to nuclear power plants – compared to net support in surveys conducted in 2009 and 2010.
Those that intend to vote Lib/Nat were more likely to support (50%) than oppose (37%) Australia developing nuclear power plants for the generation of electricity.
There was majority opposition from Labor (53% oppose or strongly oppose) and the Greens (68% oppose or strongly oppose).
There is a considerable difference between the attitudes of males and females towards nuclear power plants – 56% of males, compared to just 24% of females support or strongly support Australia developing nuclear power plants for the generation of electricity.
Carbon emissions, carbon pollution, Carbon Tax, electricity, electricity costs, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Polling, polls, renewable energy
Q. Thinking about the proposed carbon tax, do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
| Total agree | Total disagree | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | |
| A carbon tax will substantially increase the cost of electricity | 79% | 8% | 47% | 32% | 6% | 2% | 13% |
| The cost of electricity will increase substantially even without a carbon tax | 78% | 11% | 26% | 52% | 10% | 1% | 11% |
| A carbon tax is an effective way to force large polluting companies to reduce their carbon pollution | 42% | 43% | 13% | 29% | 21% | 22% | 14% |
| A carbon tax will increase investment in renewable energy | 41% | 38% | 14% | 27% | 20% | 18% | 22% |
79% agree that a carbon tax will substantially increase the cost of electricity but 78% agree that the cost of electricity will increase substantially even without a carbon tax.
Respondents were evenly divided over whether a carbon tax is an effective way to force large polluting companies to reduce their carbon pollution (42% agreer/43% disagree) and whether a carbon tax will increase investment in renewable energy (41% agree/38% disagree).
Males (84%) were more likely than females (74%) to agree or strongly agree that ‘a carbon tax will substantially increase the costs of electricity.’
Females (53%) were more likely than males (41%) to agree or strongly agree that ‘a carbon tax is an effective way to force large polluting companies to reduce their carbon pollution.’