The federal industry minister has launched a blistering attack on gas companies, accusing them of failing to take a price crisis seriously.
Ed Husic, who in recent days has accused gas companies of being tone deaf, told the ABC supply was being used to hide corporate greed.
He said gas companies were now charging higher prices despite an agreement to get more supply into the domestic market.
"This is not a shortage of supply problem," Mr Husic said.
"This is a glut of greed problem that has to be basically short circuited and common sense prevail.
"They are not taking this issue seriously.
They are not picking up the signals.
"They are completely tone deaf to the view that is being expressed publicly."
The federal government is planning some form of intervention in the energy market to bring prices down in the coming months.
The treasurer has warned that many businesses may not be able to cope with forecast price increases and may have to close.
The October budget forecasted gas prices would rise 44 per cent in the next 20 months, with electricity prices to rise 56 per cent during the same period.
In September, the government reached an agreement with gas producers to cover a looming shortfall, to ensure there was enough supply for the domestic market.
But Mr Husic said since then, companies were charging higher contract offers despite an agreement to get more supply into the domestic market.
"They have got influence over 90 per cent of the proven [supply] and probably reserves in this country so their view is they can keep doing what they are doing even though the country and everyone is saying to them, 'You've got to see sense, you've got to do better, there are implications and consequences for what you are doing,' and they are still not doing it," he said.
Coalition frontbencher Simon Birmingham said the opposition would carefully consider any intervention the government proposed.
"There's an awful lot of rhetoric coming from Ed Husic, but not a lot of detail," he said.
