THE consumer watchdog is expecting a flood of complaints from people worried about price gouging when the carbon tax is introduced and has urged consumers to come forward if they suspect they are being ripped off.

In a speech in Perth yesterday, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims warned businesses against using the carbon tax as cover for unjustifiable price rises.

The consumer watchdog is expecting a flood of complaints. Credit:Sasha Woolley

Any business that blamed price rises on the tax would need to be able to justify them, he said, warning that the ACCC would scrutinise price rises with the same rigour that it did when the GST was introduced in 2000.

Later he told The Age the ACCC was expecting a high volume of complaints. ''I don't think we'll have any problem getting consumers to complain about this,'' he said.