I’m married and my wife works, too. We don’t have kids. We’ll miss out on most of Julia Gillard’s tax sweeteners for breeders and singles. According to the government’s new Household Assistance Estimator, the Carbon Tax will cost us roughly $905 per year; our offset will be just $306. Bloody hell. Try it yourself and see how you fare. Either way, we’ll all pay at least $3.30 per week more for electricity from July 1, 2012.
Many of you will get that $172 back (and then some). Some will carry the extra costs all year until tax time like me, while others (as Giz reader John points out) will get weekly pensions, family tax benefits or other weekly payouts.
Don’t laugh, but I’m seriously starting to think about picking up some of those solar-powered iPhone chargers, backpacks and gizmos that I cover for Gizmodo. Sure, the government stresses that the calculator supplies estimates only–based on 43 common household living situations. But it gives a rough idea of how rough it will be.
Again, some of you will be better off, and more power to you (pun intended). But if the carbon tax policy is meant to be a behaviour changer, the handouts just seem kind of ridiculous to me. Maybe I’m just bitter.
I personally agree with doing something as a country for the climate. It just sucks that my back is such a disproportionately large part of that foundation. I’d like to have kids, but I’m trying to afford a house deposit, too — and nothing fancy mind you. I was just hoping for some middle ground. Perhaps you disagree. And as for the global warming debate itself: I’ll leave that for you to discuss over here. [Clean Energy Future: Household Assistance Calculator]
Sam
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 4:58 PMI’m just wondering why it’s not calculated on household income, rather than individual income. Two couples earning say $40,000 each are WAY better off than a couple where one doesn’t work (or is at school) and the other earning $80,000 – which would be similar in carbon usage.
Douglas Robinson
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 4:59 PMI’m worse off by a dollar after the handback, *shrug*
Leonard Low
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 5:02 PM“Don’t laugh, but I’m seriously starting to think about picking up some of those solar-powered iPhone chargers, backpacks and gizmos that I cover for Gizmodo…But if the carbon tax policy is meant to be a behaviour changer, the handouts just seem kind of ridiculous to me.”
No, as you just admitted, it’s already working. :p That is how the tax works – it makes you look for green alternatives to save yourself money or get better “value” than more expensive, more polluting ones.
Simon Reidy
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 6:22 PM+1. That’s one of the many ideas. It’s designed to change the way we look at, and use power.
If people can look at the facts and forget all the scary media coverage, they’d start to understand it’s actually a very clever system.
Getup have it well covered here: http://www.getup.org.au/campaigns/climate-action-now/climate-announcement/give-facts-a-head-start
Steve
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 6:43 PMExactly. The people who stand to pay more after compensation are the ones who have the disposable income to put towards energy efficient appliances and products, which save money over the long term but have a higher upfront capital cost.
And if the people who are overcompensated put their compensation money towards energy efficient appliances and products they stand to be even further ahead.
David
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 10:01 PMWhat a crock. The wife and I have been battling a mortgage on our first house and now we think we have enough to have kids which mean having the wife off for a year (even with the new kids fund). With this system and a kid aged 0-4, its $72 a month out of my pocket until tax time. Ask anyone balancing one income, a mortgage and a kid and they will tell you $72 goes a long way.
Now add up all the extra bills like the increase in food and goods because of the increased cost of transport and manufactory. Don’t tell me that’s not happening because retailers and manufactures run off a profit line usually calculated in a % of the cost to manufacture. So case 1 it used to cost 100 to make and they sold it for 150 after retail mark-up (your dreaming if you think that’s high for food and cloths). Now after tax case 2 it costs $105 to make it will now cost 157.5.
So a weekly shop of $150 becomes 157.5, so what. That’s 7800 a year vs 8190 a year. + the pre tax 850 I have to pay + however much everything else rises. if it costs more to move and manufacture how is it NOT going to increase the cost of living? Anyone who says it won’t doesn’t understand capitalism.
Tom
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 1:03 PMCongratulations genious! You have correctly discovered that a carbon price is going to increase the cost of carbon intensive goods…
On another note, it sounds like you have over extended yourself… Why don’t you sell your house if your finances are that tight?
Hope you enjoy what compensation you get funded by myself and other childless renters out there, whilst we bear the brunt of the efforts being undertaken to ensure your children have a world to grow up in…
dave
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 2:51 PM+1
Sean
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 5:15 PMYeah well my tax offset wil be $6 per year according to this calculator, so suck it up.
This doesn’t bother me though becuase for the past few years we have been steadily increasing our energy efficiency and reducing our carbon emissions, so I doubt that the carbon tax will impact as heavily on me as the model indicates anyway.
Scott
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 5:21 PMCrap you/your partner make a lot… Congratz. still better then tony abbots proposed $720 flat rate a year for everyone
Abraham
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 5:29 PMDoes anyone own a solar charger here?
I have 2xA4 sized solar panels and a hand made solar panel that charge up USB devices. I don’t charge my two psps,my phone, my sis spare phone,batteries from wall socket anymore.
Yes even on wet days or no sun. My back up batteries come into place.
Yes a bit extreme but its fun:)
Especially fun when hooking up speakers to them when the sun is out and directly listening to audio without relying on batteries.
Maniacal
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 5:35 PMI will be $66 worse off due to carbon tax.
I bought a cottage style house, am single. Easy care/Aussie Natives garden, no lawn. Don’t aircon or heat my house. I already do a hell of a lot better owning a house by myself than others including carbon footprint.
And I agree with the whole carbon tax thing. People always express their concerns regarding the environment but most do only the bare minimum needed to excuse their guilt (and we are all GUILTY somehow). People will always adjust their lfestyles and environmental impacts when it starts hurting their purse/wallet. It’s hard to make changes so having someone kick you up the backside occasionally helps :-)
Jesse
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 5:46 PMMy wife and I have 3 kids, single income and it tells me “The household situation described by the information you have entered is not covered by the scenarios used by this Estimator. ”
How uncommon can this setup be?
nick
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 5:51 PMI will be $600 worse off, and I already have solar panels on my roof and my car runs on lpg, time to sell the kids.
Cheshire Cat
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 9:16 PMIf you have solar and an LPG car then the calculator will probably give you a larger value than reality because it’s based on averages.
Leonard Low
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 6:18 PMMy partner and I (also no children) will be over $300 a year “worse off” according to this estimator. But we believe that a carbon tax is the right action at the right time, and we’ll keep looking for new ways to save energy and reduce our own bills.
There have been times in the past when Australians have worked together for a better world – and we’ve made a bigger impact than could be expected of a small nation. Environmental reform is the Great War of this age, and those who oppose it are dodging their duty and shirking their responsibility at the time it is most needed.
Ogre
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 8:14 PMWow man, I never thought to look at it that way before. Well said.
David
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 10:11 PMI have no problems with paying a tax if that’s the end of it, but its not. with the tax going to businesses as well, we have no idea what the cost of living will be. not to mention that the carbon tax will impact on aussie exports.
Think about it, if we sell product A and company Z sells it at a competitive rate, then has to add carbon tax on top of it, it puts them out of the global market place.
Now also consider we have no idea how this will end in terms of the things you and i buy off the shelf like gadgets and food that will now cost more to make locally and therefore cost us more on top of this tax.
Cheshire Cat
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 1:59 AMBut David we are already competing with 50 cents an hour labour forces etc. Countries aren’t buying our products because they are the cheapest. They buy them either because of high quality or because they can’t get them somewhere else. Of course the carbon tax will have a flow on effect to certain things. But the intention is that either industries will adapt to reduce emissions and therefore costs or people will change buying habits.
The problem is when the government just hands it straight back to us. That won’t change buying habits, it will just drive up inflation.
drew
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 6:28 PM$332 for me and my girlfriend renting in melb, sort of makes me regret all those times I chose not to offset my carbon footprint when booking domestic flights
Stephen
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 6:39 PMSo the tax offsets are going to those who are less well off? Amazing! If you and your wife are getting only $300 in tax breaks I am guessing your household earns much more than the average household does (~$70,000), and with no kids you have less expenses on necessary items such as food. I am sorry but I find it hard to be very sympathetic towards your ‘hardship’.
Cheshire Cat
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 9:31 PMHow very Australian of you. Heaven forbid someone should get an education and a good job and marry someone the same. My wife and I got exactly the same figures so I know what his income is (I’m sure you can figure it out too) and while I’m not going to pretend we are poor or doing it tough I would love to start a family soon and am disgusted that all my tax dollars go to the “poor” who choose to have a tribe of kids they can’t afford and rely on my income tax to support them.
I wish they had cut the rebates and actually used the money for something rather than add to the retarded welfare state Australia has become. I’m all for free education and health etc but these rebates won’t help to change people’s habits. (and fuel should never have been exempted).
But at least it’s a start.
michael
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 10:32 AMI completely agree with Cheshire Cat. I’m also in the same financial position. I’m sick of how my tax dollars go to dole bludgers who use them for smokes and alcohol instead of it going to roads, hospitals and education.
I know it’s a generalisation, but it tends to be true more often than not. Unemployment is extremely low in Australia, there is NO shortage of work. But right now some people can easily live in of welfare with multiple children. All the while we pay for them to continue doing it.
Cheshire Cat
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 9:03 PMThe middle class welfare is the killer for me. Why does half the population get money to help with child care etc. If you can’t afford it don’t have kids. Means testing is also retarded. It will only save 10% when it excludes the “rich” anyways and we all know the very rich have good accountants and rort it anyway. Howards middle class welfare state was a disgusting waste of money that could have been spent on infrastructure.
Adam
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 7:06 PMI’m with Stephen, comment above. Stop whining, Danny.
John
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 7:13 PMWhat an outrageously mis-leading headline. No, the carbon tax will not add $172 to the cost of running my gadgets. It will cost an extra $172 for YOU to run your gadgets, because of your particular financial situation. My particular situation means it will cost me no extra to run my gadgets.
Danny Allen
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 7:41 PMRe: headline. I’ve inserted this sentence to make my point and the headline a little clearer.
“Many of you will get that $172 back (and then some). But you’ll still have to carry the extra costs all year until tax time.”
You’re fine to disagree with me, as I am with you. Just please keep it civil. Cheers and thanks for reading.
Sicarius123
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 7:20 PMAnd the couple struggling to save a deposit for an overpriced house in a capital city gets fucked again.
I need to buy an investment property with no money down so I can negative gear the hell out of it and pay no tax. Live in debt, that’s the Australian way and the government supports it!
I can’t do anything to lower my bills, since the majority of my electrical use come from the awful appliances built into my awful rental I’m living in.
Danny Allen
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 7:27 PM^ This. 100%.
Sam
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 7:35 PM+1 to this. I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion I’ll never be able to live the dream and own a house.
David
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 10:16 PMhow’s this. i spent to the nth degree building a house from scratch that is 5 star energy smart with all the most efficient types of appliances. I have very highly rated WELS water fixtures and I have two very green cars (not prius mind you). what can i do to reduce my impact? turn the heater off and freeze to death!
How about rewarding the people who have already done the right thing?
boc
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 2:23 PMIf you can afford to build such an eco-friendly house and own two eco-friendly cars then you don’t need a government handout! You’re already doing well by most people’s books.
As for rewards – everything you say that you’ve done will pay itself off sooner now. Utility costs will be going up meaning you’ll save more and reap more benefits from your eco-investments.
You could do with less of the self-important me-me-me attitude.
bugwan
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 10:27 PMWhy do you need to own a house? Anyone suffering from mortgage stress voluntarily is completely mad! It’s not the ’50s any more, this supposed correlation between home ownership and happiness is absurd.
Over it
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 11:12 AMThis is what irks me. The renting thing. Solar Scheme – Not available to Renters, now we’re paying for it through increased costs, no free insulation for renters, etc. Where i live hot water is on hugely energy inefficient Electricity, appliances installed are as cheap as possible meaning the least energy efficient, and there is nothing i can do about it.
I have done my bit, I paid extra to get the most energy efficient TV i could find, limit use of the clothes dryer in favour of hanging clothes, recycle everything possible including a worm farm for food scraps, got rid of the second car, and ride my bike to work, try to limit the use of car on the weekend, avoid heating and cooling my house where possible. But there is nothing much else i can do. Because my wife and I are supposed high income earners we get no benefits, and will struggle to further change our lifestyle.
Meanwhile John Bogan out in legoland in his house he built with huge air conditioners, 4 plasma screen tvs and no eves, who sits in his 4wd for 2 hours each day to drive to work has no incentive to make any lifestyle changes. Oh thats right, he’s done his bit for the environment by installing some solar panels on the roof which he now profits off.
John
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 8:00 PMFair point, Danny. You had published other comments but not mine at the time that was written. But the headline is still misleading, and clarifying it in the text is no excuse. Also, many people will not have to carry any extra expense until tax time, as millions of people get weekly pensions, family tax benefits A or B or other weekly payouts.
Parker
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 8:45 PMI get $3 assistance, and pay $902 extra a year. Labor, you did it again!
Glen
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 9:00 PM$811 down. $156 up. Don’t forget the skyrocketing NSW electricity costs due to state gov incompetence :(
Richard
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 9:10 PMFor all this expense, can someone please tell me how much the temperature will change?
Thanks in advance.
Richard
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 9:22 PMFor those who are interested, here is the answer:
Global warming forestalled by 2020 would be 0.00007 C°: i.e. 1/14,000 C°.
Source: http://joannenova.com.au/2011/07/gillards-tax-on-carbon-pollution-the-facts/
Cheshire Cat
Friday, July 15, 2011 at 9:04 AMOnly what she has written is likely rubbish. Easiest way to tell that. She’s got her ‘facts’ from lord monkton. I suggest you google. Or wiki him. He’s apparently cured aids….and another 20 awful diseases amongst his many phenominal achievements. So sorry if I’m skeptical about anything written based on his works which have been consistently proven to be fraudulent misinterpretations.
KuDoZ
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 9:26 PMJust love how so many of us are SO concerned about global warming… until it actually costs us something… and then whine even MORE when it costs us more than our neighbour…
When did us aussies become the “whinging poms”…
Sheeds
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 10:22 PM“The household situation described by the information you have entered is not covered by the scenarios used by this Estimator.”
Great. Thanks Govt – your estimator doesnt cover a 2-parent working scenario with three kids…um lucky there won’t be many of those out there $@$%$!!!
Sheeds.
http://www.sheeds.com.au
Windows Phone Down Under site.
Brock
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 10:36 PMWatch this video on YouTube, it explains the Carbon Tax in 2 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zkZFwLrQJJA#at=71
Painkiller
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 10:53 PMIt’s a shame its all hypothetical bullsh*t. how can they say I’m going to pay $392 in Carbon tax a year. I might pay more or i might pay less. They know nothing of my lifestyle.
The Government cant tell you how much it will effect you because they don’t know how it will effect you.
The Government wont tell you who the 500 businesses are that will be taxed so you cant work out how much tax you’ll pay. Its all political BS.
alx
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 11:30 PMThey say that they are giving some of us a ‘tax cut’. But with inflation, they should really be lifting the tax free threshold yearly anyway. In 2 years time, I will be paying what I am now but the difference is that the carbon tax will still be here. What’s the point in taxing companies to force them to close down and do their business in China where there is no carbon tax? It’s no better for the environment and Australia just loses more Interlectual Property to the Chinese.
mogwai
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 7:44 AMhappy to pay it. Its a tiny amount of money in the scheme of things. Shame they are giving away so many subsidys. I’d be happy to not have any money back.
Oh noes, people might have to cancel their foxtel for a year or not upgrade their Ipads or phone this year.
blueevo
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 10:46 AMGo support a family off your wage and then come back to me.
As youve said people cant upgrade their devices every year.. its already starting a snowball effect in the economy.