We're all facing higher electricity prices at the moment, but rest assured that we homeowners are not the only ones to be feeling the pinch.
It seems that the IT sector is also struggling to keep on top of its bills – or at least that's what the managing director of hosting at Macquarie Telecom would have us believe.
Speaking at a roundtable debate hosted by VMware, Adrian Tudehope explained how the sector could be in for a 50 per cent price hike over the next three years.
This is likely to come about for a range of reasons, with one of the main ones being the introduction of the carbon tax, set to come into force on July 1.
The tax has been something of a bone of contention for businesses – in simple terms, they will be taxed for carbon emissions in a bid to help Australia meet its climate change goals.
Another problem is future spot pricing and longer-term contracts, which Adrian found that more companies are considering.
While this may sound noble, it is likely that some of this extra cost will filter down to us consumers, putting strain on our already empty pockets.
One problem for the IT industry that Adrian envisages is that it will eventually cost companies as much to power a server as it did to buy it in the first place, ITWire reports.
Once again, this could eventually be felt by us, the consumers, so this downward spiral needs to be stopped in its tracks sooner rather than later.
Companies may need some encouragement to switch to more efficient sources of energy – solar power, anyone? – or simply adopt new technology that means they will use less electricity.
Businesses are not that different from homes in that respect – we're all striving to save money in any way possible!
Posted by Bob Dawson