Businesses and residents affected by the gas transition have been urged by the City of Albany and business advocates to not yet take any action, who warn that premature action could be risky and say further information is on the horizon.

ATCO’s shock decision to decommission the town gas network and force thousands of customers from McKail to Middleton Beach to find alternative energy sources sparked widespread panic amongst those affected since it was first announced in January.

Through a period of intense lobbying and negotiations, the City of Albany and stakeholders secured a $21m community support package from the State Government and the departing gas provider to cover transition costs as well as a delay for the switch-off to 2027.

Although the date is months away, town gas users have been urged to hold fire and not complete any transition works until the switch-off commences, which will operate via a zone-by-zone three-year phase-out, as early action may result in ineligibility for compensation.

“The details at this stage are yet to be finalised, and I would make it very clear to any affected customer that you do nothing until the package is accessible to you,” Albany mayor Greg Stocks said.

“If you move before those times, you may not be eligible, so, do nothing.

“There is also misinformation out in the industry suggesting that you might need to change appliances. That is incorrect. If you convert to gas bottles, you can use your existing appliances.”

Albany Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Tracey Bridges said affected businesses should wait for further information to be released in October.

For businesses with annual reticulated gas consumption of more than 30 gigajoules, she said an energy audit will be available to help assess alternative options and gather information for their future decisions.

“We have been advised that there is no action required from impacted businesses at this stage,” she said.

“Decommissioning has not commenced, and further information will be provided as the transition program and timelines progress.

“From the chamber’s perspective, we realise that this announcement does not answer all of the questions the business community has been sitting with since the beginning of the year.

“Having more clarity helps, however, we will be working with the business community to collect your queries and continue to work towards getting them all answered.

“Our role throughout this transition is to support and advocate for Albany’s business community.

“If your business is impacted, you have concerns about the transition, or there are issues you believe need to be raised on behalf of the broader business community, please contact the ACCI team.”

FACT FILE

• There is no fixed compensation amount and the $1600 announced by the State Government is the average expected cost for a household or small business to transition to gas bottles.
• There is not a one-size-fits-all solution, some households will require a simple transition and others more complex which is why this is a scaled package.
• If you choose to move to bottled gas, you will not need to replace your existing gas appliances.
• If you choose to transition to electricity, funding equivalent to the cost of converting your property to bottled gas can instead be put towards your electrification costs.
• Businesses will also be offered a free energy audit to assess their individual energy needs.
• The City of Albany strongly advocated for an alternative gas provider to take over Albany’s existing network; however, no provider was willing to commit to continuing the reticulated gas service.
• The State Government is also undertaking a trade capacity assessment to ensure the necessary tradespeople are available when transition works begin.
• More information, including how to access the funding, will be announced in October.
• Residents should take no action until more information is provided.
• Keep up to date via ATCO Australia’s updates at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/RK6sJ2a/Albany and the State Government Energy Transition Plan at https://confirmsubscription.com/h/r/C05C1B68EA518E502540EF23F30FEDED

Source: City of Albany