A South Australian pensioner says she feels “cheesed off” after discovering her daily electricity supply charge will jump by 53 cents under a new Origin Energy pricing structure just months after the state government encouraged concession holders to switch to the provider.
The woman, who moved from her long‑term provider AGL after receiving a government letter promoting Origin’s concession scheme, said the sudden price hike felt unfair. “People who are struggling and don’t keep themselves warm to save a few cents a day cannot escape the 50 cents or more surcharge on a daily rate,” she said. “I was very annoyed … I’m cheesed off.”
She said the government’s promotion of the scheme “was real at the time but it only lasted for three months.”
About 83,000 pensioners are currently on the Origin concession program, which was established in 2017. But SA Opposition Leader Ashton Hurn says the government sent letters to 200,000 concession holders ahead of Labor’s election victory, urging them to consider the scheme only for many to now face higher costs.
“It’s one thing to encourage consumers to shop around,” Hurn said. “But in this instance you’ve got the government encouraging a certain provider, only to find out they’re actually going to be slugged by taking the government’s advice.”
The pricing change has reignited debate over affordability for vulnerable households, with advocates warning that sudden increases in fixed daily charges disproportionately impact pensioners who already limit their energy use.
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