CPI rose 1.4% in the September quarter
THE consumer price index jumped 1.4% in the September quarter, partly on the back of the carbon tax contribution to a 15.3% rise in electricity prices during the quarter, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed on Wednesday.
The increase of 15.3% in electricity retail costs was lower than some estimates from state regulators, while the overall CPI rise compared with a rise of 0.5% in the June quarter.
Other significant rises during the quarter were accommodation, up 6.6%, vegetables, up 10.5%, and gas and other households' fuels, up 14.2%.
Major falls in household cost were found in automotive fuels, down 3.9%, motor vehicles, down 1%, and pharmaceutical products, down 2.6%.
