The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has reduced by more than A$7bn (US$5.6bn) the electricity network charges paid by customers in heavily populated states and districts to state-owned and private electricity distribution companies. Electricity prices in Australia are among the highest in the Asia-Pacific area and fail to reflect cheap power generation costs from abundant coal and gas resources and from soaring solar power. Distribution fees doubled between 2007 and 2013, raising widespread criticism. The new pricing model is expected to lower residential electricity bills from 1% to 12% in 2016 (fiscal year starting on 1 July). In the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and in New South Wales, the AER reduced business revised proposals from electricity distribution companies by 12% to 33%, translating into an expected reduction for residential bills by 1.1% to 8% in 2015-2016. In South Australia, the proposed remuneration of SA Power Networks was cut by 32%, which will cut residential bills by 9.8% in 2015-2016. In Queensland, the proposed network charges were cut by 23% and 27% (- A$123 for households in total over the 2015-2020 period). The AER has accepted the revised revenue proposal put forward by TasNetwork (Tasmania); however, the annual residential electricity bill is expected to dip by 1.1% in 2015-2016.