Barely a few hours after the House of Representatives approved yesterday the carbon tax plan, a few enterprising individuals have taken advantage of taxing consumers by already adding the tax on their goods and services, even as the controversial carbon tax plan has yet to gain final approval at the Australian Senate.

The consumer watchdog Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), according to the Herald Sun, had received reports that some taxi drivers had started adding "carbon levy" to fares.

This prompted the ACCC to fast track its framework of a national campaign to protect and warn consumers against unscrupulous individuals and businesses abusing the carbon tax. The framework plan will specifically list down what price rises are allowed and not, as well as detailed guidelines on how the carbon tax is carried out and implemented.

"If anyone is putting up prices now, they're way ahead of the game," ACCC chairman Rod Sims told Herald Sun.

"We've had a few potential cases of people saying things that are just silly, and reports of taxi drivers adding a 'carbon levy'. If people are making claims that price rises have been caused by the carbon tax, they must be able to substantiate them.''

The ACCC has been tasked to act as carbon tax cop with a $12.8 million budget to boot. Sims said the organization will ensure every detail is covered on the framework the group is currently working on to ensure businesses are well-informed and that consumers are well-guided and not be misled.

The carbon tax will impose a tax starting at $23 a tonne on 500 of Australia's biggest polluters from July 2012, before going to a carbon trade scheme in 2015.

The carbon legislation has yet to pass the Senate in a vote due in mid-November.

Australia accounts for only around 1.5 per cent of global carbon releases, but is the world's biggest per capita polluter as 80 per cent of its electricity generation relies on coal.