An absolute must read from the ABC - This is why Australian's are getting screwed on their electricity prices.

Long story short - monopolistic networks are deliberately blowing money on unnecessary infrastructure because they can put a markup on it and charge you... and they convinced politicians energy needs are increasing when in fact our energy use is decreasing and we're switching to solar and batteries.

"It's as if, at the beginning of the internet age, Australia invested about $45 billion in fax technology," one former federal government advisor observed.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-10/hill-the-great-energy-con-that-is-costing-us-billions/6924272