A blame game has erupted between the Queensland government and opposition after a report estimated consumers in the Sunshine State are paying more for electricity than anyone else in the country.
Preliminary findings from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's probe into the national energy market on Monday estimated Queenslanders had paid the most for power during the 2016-17 financial year.
The ACCC's report also shows residential charges across Australia increased by 63 per cent on top of inflation since 2007-08.
Queensland Energy Minister Mark Bailey and Liberal National Party leader Tim Nicholls credited their respective Palaszczuk and Newman governments' efforts to apply downward pressure on retail prices, while blaming each other for increases.
Resolving rising power prices is shaping up as a critical state election battle between the major parties, particularly in regional Queensland, where households are faced with high cost of living pressures and a lack of jobs.
Mr Bailey accused the Newman government, under which Mr Nicholls was Treasurer, of overseeing a 43 per cent increase in retail price charges due to a decision to cut electricity generation.
He downplayed the state's average four per cent price rise from 2016 to 2017 by comparing it to states with increases ranging from 10 per cent in Victoria to 21 per cent in the ACT.
Mr Bailey highlighted increases to the state government's rebate, bringing it to $340.85 per year, the expansion of its availability and efforts to remove the cost of the solar bonus scheme from bills.
Mr Nicholls slammed Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's government for creating a "mess" and vowed an LNP government would find a solution.
"I simply say to Queenslanders, at the next election, take your power bill to the ballot box and tell Annastacia Palaszczuk and Labor it's not good enough," he told reporters.
Mr Nicholls reiterated the opposition's pledge to scrap Labor's renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2030, plans for a new coal-fired power station in Queensland's north and the introduction of capped wages for executives of state-owned power assets.
ACCC chairman Rod Sims said it was clear Australians were facing unacceptable pressure over price increases, with significant increases in network costs being the main driver for all states except South Australia.
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