May 2010 . . Carolyn’s Pine Rivers News
State Member for Pine Rivers
REBATE TO HELP LOWER GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
The Bligh Government has announced a Solar Hot Water Rebate of $1000 for pensioners and $600 for everyone else to help install a solar hot water system and save on their electricity bills.
That’s on top of the $2300 of rebates already available to make the switch to solar.
Queensland shines with the sun’s free energy and the Bligh Government is committed to helping Queenslanders harness that free energy source to lower their energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions.
It will mean nearly doubling what we generate now from solar power in five years.
259 Pine Rivers residents have installed electricity generating solar panels and are getting paid for electricity they feed back into the grid with the Solar Bonus Scheme.
Other Pine Rivers residents are saving money through the Climate Smart Homes Service.
1,778 Pine Rivers residents have taken advantage of the Bligh Government’s Climate Smart Homes service – allowing them to save up to $250 on their electricity bills by installing efficient light bulbs and a smart meter.
I encourage everyone to jump on the website, www.qld.gov.au and find out about what Queensland is doing to tap into the sun’s energy – and how you can be a part of it.
WE WANT YOU: MORE TROOPS TO BE RECRUITED TO QUEENSLAND’S GREEN ARMY
An additional 50 environmental traineeships will be offered in Queensland’s Green Army this year, providing jobseekers with much sought after green skills to enter the workforce.
Funding has been given for the additional traineeships that would be based with community organisations.
Despite a more positive outlook in the global economy, the Queensland Government can’t lose focus. This government remains committed to saving and creating Queensland jobs.
Queensland’s Green Army is doing exactly that. It will create 3000 jobs over three years and it will prepare participants with the skills they need to step into jobs in areas that are likely to suffer from shortages.
These traineeships will give long-term unemployed people and recently-retrenched workers a year of work and nationally-recognised training.
The training will be at either Certificate II or III level in areas such as horticulture, agriculture, conservation and land management or waste management.
They will be working on a wide range of environmental projects and tasks including revegetation, conservation, developing natural recreational facilities, traditional knowledge recording, environmental rehabilitation and recycling and waste management.
These trainees will join the 259 previously approved environmental trainees who will work with 48 local councils across the state.
People wanting to register for Green Army projects should phone the Green Army hotline on 1800 249 215 or visit www.greenarmy.qld.gov.au .
ENERGY MARKETERS MISLEAD SEQ RESIDENTS
Queensland residents should be wary of energy marketers who use false and misleading statements to pressure them into swapping energy retailers.
South-east Queensland residents have contacted the Energy Ombudsman Queensland (EOQ) about salespeople from various energy companies who are using unethical tactics to sign up new customers.
The EOQ have heard that marketers are telling people their current retailer is not passing on a 7.5% rebate to people in the neighbourhood.
The salespeople then asked the resident to sign a contract with them so they can sort the problem out – ensuring there is nothing to worry about because of the mandatory cooling-off period.
The EOQ have also heard that salespeople have been refusing to provide information unless the resident signs a ‘registration of interest’ form, which then turns out to be a binding contract.
Salespeople have also told the people that the energy company they represented was state-owned.
This falsely gives a reputable impression – the only state-owned energy retailer in Queensland is Ergon Energy which does not retail in south-east Queensland only regional Queensland, and does not engage in door-to-door selling or marketing.
The EOQ is advising consumers to not be pressured into agreeing to a contract they had not read or did not understand.
If you sign a contract to change energy retailers, the company that bills you for your energy use, you could save money but you could also end up paying extra fees and charges than what you are currently paying.
It’s important to fully understand the implications before agreeing to anything.
Consumers can contact EOQ and they will investigate any marketing complaints they’ve been unable to resolve with an energy retailer.
EOQ investigations into marketing conduct complaints have resulted in successful outcomes, including the termination of employment or re-training of marketers responsible for making false and misleading statements and the cancellation of contracts that were signed under coercion with no penalty to the customer.
Queensland consumers can contact the Energy Ombudsman Queensland on 1800 662 837.
Until next time
Carolyn
The Bligh Government has announced a Solar Hot Water Rebate of $1000 for pensioners and $600 for everyone else to help install a solar hot water system and save on their electricity bills.
That’s on top of the $2300 of rebates already available to make the switch to solar.
Queensland shines with the sun’s free energy and the Bligh Government is committed to helping Queenslanders harness that free energy source to lower their energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions.
It will mean nearly doubling what we generate now from solar power in five years.
259 Pine Rivers residents have installed electricity generating solar panels and are getting paid for electricity they feed back into the grid with the Solar Bonus Scheme.
Other Pine Rivers residents are saving money through the Climate Smart Homes Service.
1,778 Pine Rivers residents have taken advantage of the Bligh Government’s Climate Smart Homes service – allowing them to save up to $250 on their electricity bills by installing efficient light bulbs and a smart meter.
I encourage everyone to jump on the website, www.qld.gov.au and find out about what Queensland is doing to tap into the sun’s energy – and how you can be a part of it.
WE WANT YOU: MORE TROOPS TO BE RECRUITED TO QUEENSLAND’S GREEN ARMY
An additional 50 environmental traineeships will be offered in Queensland’s Green Army this year, providing jobseekers with much sought after green skills to enter the workforce.
Funding has been given for the additional traineeships that would be based with community organisations.
Despite a more positive outlook in the global economy, the Queensland Government can’t lose focus. This government remains committed to saving and creating Queensland jobs.
Queensland’s Green Army is doing exactly that. It will create 3000 jobs over three years and it will prepare participants with the skills they need to step into jobs in areas that are likely to suffer from shortages.
These traineeships will give long-term unemployed people and recently-retrenched workers a year of work and nationally-recognised training.
The training will be at either Certificate II or III level in areas such as horticulture, agriculture, conservation and land management or waste management.
They will be working on a wide range of environmental projects and tasks including revegetation, conservation, developing natural recreational facilities, traditional knowledge recording, environmental rehabilitation and recycling and waste management.
These trainees will join the 259 previously approved environmental trainees who will work with 48 local councils across the state.
People wanting to register for Green Army projects should phone the Green Army hotline on 1800 249 215 or visit www.greenarmy.qld.gov.au .
ENERGY MARKETERS MISLEAD SEQ RESIDENTS
Queensland residents should be wary of energy marketers who use false and misleading statements to pressure them into swapping energy retailers.
South-east Queensland residents have contacted the Energy Ombudsman Queensland (EOQ) about salespeople from various energy companies who are using unethical tactics to sign up new customers.
The EOQ have heard that marketers are telling people their current retailer is not passing on a 7.5% rebate to people in the neighbourhood.
The salespeople then asked the resident to sign a contract with them so they can sort the problem out – ensuring there is nothing to worry about because of the mandatory cooling-off period.
The EOQ have also heard that salespeople have been refusing to provide information unless the resident signs a ‘registration of interest’ form, which then turns out to be a binding contract.
Salespeople have also told the people that the energy company they represented was state-owned.
This falsely gives a reputable impression – the only state-owned energy retailer in Queensland is Ergon Energy which does not retail in south-east Queensland only regional Queensland, and does not engage in door-to-door selling or marketing.
The EOQ is advising consumers to not be pressured into agreeing to a contract they had not read or did not understand.
If you sign a contract to change energy retailers, the company that bills you for your energy use, you could save money but you could also end up paying extra fees and charges than what you are currently paying.
It’s important to fully understand the implications before agreeing to anything.
Consumers can contact EOQ and they will investigate any marketing complaints they’ve been unable to resolve with an energy retailer.
EOQ investigations into marketing conduct complaints have resulted in successful outcomes, including the termination of employment or re-training of marketers responsible for making false and misleading statements and the cancellation of contracts that were signed under coercion with no penalty to the customer.
Queensland consumers can contact the Energy Ombudsman Queensland on 1800 662 837.
Until next time
Carolyn
