The warning bells are ring very loud that 2017 is going to shape up to be a very hard year for many families. With the closure of the Hazelwood power station now a certainty power prices are set to hit record levels. The average residential energy bill could surge by more than $300.

Mr Gavin Dufty, spokesman for St Vincent de Paul Society, has said the jump in electricity prices will be 6.5 per cent to 11.5 per cent. Gas will also increase with price rises of 5.2 per cent to 9.2 per cent expected.

“All households will experience price increases and some more so than others,” Mr Dufty said.

Even if the homeowner does have solar, many still rely on a percentage of their power from the grid. So what can the homeowner do?

According to the Victorian Energy Minister, Ms Lily D’Ambrosio, customer should demand a better price. “If you don’t like the answer that you get, shop around,” says Ms D’Ambrosio.

This advice would probably prove to be worthless due to the fact that all major energy retailers are gong to be putting up their prices.

Energy Australia residential customers who are on its standing offer tariff, using 4.3MW of electricity could see an increase in prices of 9.8 per cent annually, while gas bills will be up by 6.1 per cent.

Origin residential electricity prices are going up by 6.5 per cent while their gas will surge by 7.8 per cent.

AGL customers fair no better. AGL expect their prices to increase 9.9 per cent 2017.

True Value Solar has been advising customers for quite some time that prices would be rising and solar is the answer. It seems Mr Gavin Dufty from St Vincent de Paul Society agrees. To quote Mr Dufty; “Householders with solar, and people that have very low power bills will see less of a price increase.”