ELECTRICITY customers may face footing the damages bill for the cost of the Black Saturday bushfires after supplier SP AusNet won official permission to pass on amounts that its insurance bill did not cover.
The Australian Energy Regulator has potentially cleared the way for the electricity company to rachet up its prices beyond the regulated rate it charges electricity retailers to cover potential costs.
The State Government is suing the Singapore-owned company for $22 million for failure of its lines in the Kilmore East fire, which spread to Kinglake and killed 119 people and destroyed 1242 homes on February 7, 2009. Full story
