Canberra households have seen their power bills soar by up to 21 per cent in the past 12 months, according to one of the nation's leading charities, leaving families in the capital trying to find a shocking $540 extra each year to keep the lights on.
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As the political row over Australia's energy future continues to rage this week, the annual report of St Vincent de Paul's tariff-tracking project shows households are paying a high price for the chaos and instability in the nation's energy market.
St Vincent de Paul found Canberra households' annual electricity costs have typically increased by $320 to $350, or 19 to 21 per cent, since July 2016 and families' annual gas costs have typically increased by $255, or 16 per cent, since July 2016.
The charity says the combined electricity and gas costs, for average consumption households, has increased by 18 per cent or $540 a year, in a period of historically low wages that has seen pay packets effectively stagnate at 2 per cent or lower a year.
Shopping around for a better deal offers only limited benefits, according to St Vincent de Paul's policy manager Gavin Dufty, although the picture is slowly improving,
"There are still very few market offers available to residential consumers in the ACT," Mr Dufty wrote in his report.
"ActewAGL, Energy Australia and Origin Energy are the only retailers marketing electricity and gas offers to residential consumers.
"However, households on ActewAGL's standing offer can save by switching to a market offer."
Mr Dufty said a typical consumption household could save $210 a year, or 10 per cent, on their electricity by switching from ActewAGL's standing offer to the retailer's market offer, or $180 per annum on gas costs by switching from ActewAGL to Energy Australia, including pay-on-time discounts.
But the options are improving, St Vincent de Paul found.
In July 2015 the potential saving through switching retailers was $150 for electricity and $160 for gas.
In 2016, savings of $175 and $135 respectively were possible, while this year the maximum potential annual saving is $210 for electricity and $180 for gas.
An ActewAGL spokeswoman told Fairfax Media on Wednesday that households needed to be careful when shopping around and to ensure they were "comparing apples for apples" when considering different deals.
Origin Energy declined to comment and Energy Australia could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
Solar generation offers a ray of hope for hard-pressed consumers, according to Mr Dufty, whose research found homes with roof-top photo-voltaic panels are $770 a year better off than their non-solar neighbours, on average.
The ActewAGL spokeswoman said the retailer welcomed transparency in the market and a greater understanding among consumers of how their bills worked.
"This report reinforces our message to customers and potential customers which is to compare offers carefully," she said.
"It's important that customers compare apples with apples.
"For example, the report highlights the fact that headline discounts look great and can be effective, but only if customers pay on time.
"There are retailers who offer attractive discounts but they're based on a higher rate which may not be in the long-term interest of the customer.
"ActewAGL has the lowest electricity base rate in the ACT and we apply this rate because we understand that we're delivering an essential service to our customers."
