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Winter Bills: Is it cheaper to heat your house with gas or electricity?

Winter Bills: Is it cheaper to heat your house with gas or electricity?

As gas and electricity prices continue to fluctuate across Australia’s east coast, households and businesses are facing rising winter energy costs and growing uncertainty. Seasonal demand, household gas consumption, and the efficiency of electric heating systems, particularly when paired with rooftop solar, are playing an increasingly important role in shaping energy bills. Drawing on data from the Australian Energy Council’s Solar Report Q2 2025, this article explores how these factors affect costs and highlights potential savings for households of different sizes

BY Carol Tran Aug 21 2025
Unlocking Consumer Energy Resources: Addressing data sharing barriers with retailer participation

Unlocking Consumer Energy Resources: Addressing data sharing barriers with retailer participation

Australia’s energy transition increasingly relies on Consumer Energy Resources (CER) such as rooftop solar, batteries, electric vehicles and smart appliances, which are now essential to system reliability, affordability and resilience. Without effective data-sharing frameworks, however, the full potential of CER cannot be realised, limiting performance, innovation and market reform. A recent consultation paper under the National CER Roadmap identifies six key barriers, with retailers well placed to address many of them through clear policy direction and regulatory alignment. We take a closer look at the barriers outlined in the paper and the future role of retailers in addressing them.

BY David Markham Aug 14 2025
Competition a key to VPP development: ACCC report

Competition a key to VPP development: ACCC report

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s most recent report on the electricity market provides good insights into the extent of emerging energy services such as virtual power plants (VPPs), electric vehicle tariffs and behavioural demand response programs. As highlighted by the focus in the ACCC’s report, retailers are actively engaging in innovation and new energy services, such as VPPs. Here we look at what the report found in relation to the emergence of VPPs, which are expected to play an important and growing role in the grid as more homes install solar with battery storage, the benefits that can accrue to customers, as well as potential areas for considerations to support this emerging new market.

BY Carl Kitchen Aug 14 2025
Energy2050 – How Australia can achieve a net zero emissions future

Energy2050 – How Australia can achieve a net zero emissions future

As the pace and complexity of Australia’s energy transition intensifies, a new ĂŰĚŇÓ°Ďńproject, Energy2050, aims to provide a clearer view of how the sector can realistically reach net zero by 2050. Rather than rehashing forecasts of what the energy mix will look like, the project will focus on the how - identifying the critical policy, market, and operational considerations needed to deliver a reliable, affordable and sustainable system. This week, we outline the scope of the project and the key challenges it will explore.

BY Louisa Kinnear Aug 07 2025
Retail reform reset: Why price controls alone won’t power the transition

Retail reform reset: Why price controls alone won’t power the transition

In June the Federal Government announced it would review the Default Market Offer methodology used by the Australian Energy Regulator to set the safety net price for 8-9 per cent of households who are not able to or who do not go onto competitive market offers. The review is considering bringing the DMO closer to the approach used to set the separate Victorian Default Offer. To better understand the differences between DMO and VDO and help inform the review, the Australian Energy Council commissioned Ernst & Young (EY) to assess the different methodologies. Here Jo De Silva considers the report findings and the broader implications of the proposed changes, as well as other options for price reform.

BY Jo De Silva Jul 31 2025
Can the ECA’s network blueprint deliver better outcomes?

Can the ECA’s network blueprint deliver better outcomes?

Energy Consumers Australia (ECA) has proposed a new planning approach: the Integrated Distribution System Plan, or IDSP. It’s not a buzzwordy rebrand of existing processes, it’s a rethink from the ground up which would see each network releasing a 20-year roadmap every two years, incorporating national forecasts, like those in the Integrated System Plan (ISP). And instead of guesswork it could deliver coordinated, transparent data that enables better planning and more efficient CER investment. We take a look at what’s proposed and the benefits it could deliver.

BY David Markham Jul 31 2025
The energy transition and power bills: Why aren’t they cheaper?

The energy transition and power bills: Why aren’t they cheaper?

With energy prices increasing for households and businesses there is the question: why aren’t we seeing lower bills given the promise of cheaper energy with increasing amounts of renewables in the grid. A recent working paper published by Griffith University’s Centre for Applied Energy Economics & Policy Research has tested the proposition of whether a renewables grid is cheaper than a counterfactual grid that has only coal and gas as new entrants. It provides good insights into the dynamics that have been at play.

BY Carl Kitchen Jul 24 2025
Kerbside EV Charging: The promise and the pitfalls of monopoly deployment

Kerbside EV Charging: The promise and the pitfalls of monopoly deployment

As Australia accelerates its transition to electric vehicles (EVs), the spotlight is increasingly turning to public charging infrastructure and in particular the potential of kerbside EV charging to support widespread adoption. A recent proposal by Citipower, Powercor, and United Energy to install and operate 100 kerbside chargers through a waiver from ring-fencing rules has ignited a robust debate about how - and by whom - this infrastructure should be deployed. Here we review the merits of kerbside charging and the waiver proposal and consider the practical realities that sound caution for waiver decisions.

BY David Markham Jul 17 2025
OECD Price Comparison: How do we stack up?

OECD Price Comparison: How do we stack up?

As households and small businesses are notified of changes to their energy prices for the financial year, there continues to be scrutiny of our power prices. With energy affordability an ongoing concern for Australians, comparisons with overseas energy markets are common with consideration of how Australia's costs compare to other countries. We take a look at how our electricity prices stack up against other developed nations using the latest data across 38 OECD countries.

BY Carol Tran Jul 10 2025
The gas transition: What do gorillas have to do with it?

The gas transition: What do gorillas have to do with it?

The gas transition poses an unavoidable challenge: what to do with the potential for billions of dollars of stranded assets. Current approaches, such as accelerated depreciation, are fixes that Professorial Fellow at Monash University and energy expert Ron Ben-David argues will risk triggering both political and financial crises. He has put forward a novel, market-based solution that he claims can transform the regulated asset base (RAB) into a manageable financial obligation. We take a look and examine the issue.

BY David Markham Jul 03 2025
Australia’s Sustainable Finance Taxonomy: Solving problems or creating new ones?

Australia’s Sustainable Finance Taxonomy: Solving problems or creating new ones?

Last Tuesday, the Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI) released the Australian Sustainable Finance Taxonomy – a voluntary framework that financiers and investors can use to ensure economic activity they are investing capital in is consistent with a 1.5°C trajectory. One of the trickier aspects of the Taxonomy was whether to classify gas-powered generation, a fossil fuel energy source, as a “transition” activity to support net-zero. The final Taxonomy opted against this. Here we take a look at how ASFI came to this decision, and the pragmatism of it.

BY Rhys Thomas Jun 26 2025
What’s behind the bill? Unpacking the cost components of household electricity bills

What’s behind the bill? Unpacking the cost components of household electricity bills

With ongoing scrutiny of household energy costs and more recently retail costs, it is timely to revisit the structure of electricity bills and the cost components that drive them. While price trends often attract public attention, the composition of a bill reflects a mix of wholesale market outcomes, regulated network charges, environmental policy costs, and retailer operating expenses. Understanding what goes into an energy bill helps make sense of why prices vary between regions and how default and market offers are set. We break down the main cost components of a typical residential electricity bill and look at how customers can use comparison tools to check if they’re on the right plan.

BY Tom Monaghan Jun 19 2025
Twenty-Five Years of Rooftop Solar: Who were the Pioneers?

Twenty-Five Years of Rooftop Solar: Who were the Pioneers?

Australia’s energy landscape has transformed dramatically over the past 25 years, driven in part by the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 and the introduction of renewable energy certificates in 2001. Through the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, households have been incentivised to install rooftop solar with the help of Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs). From just 118 rooftop systems in 2001, over four million Australian homes now generate their own power. We take a closer look at regional trends in solar adoption, beginning with the early pioneers and the trajectory of small-scale PV uptake across the country.

BY Carol Tran Jun 05 2025
Gas in the NEM: Is there a case for a new and expanded RERT?

Gas in the NEM: Is there a case for a new and expanded RERT?

Gas-powered generation (GPG) will be essential to maintaining reliability in the National Electricity Market (NEM) as coal exits and the grid becomes increasingly reliant on variable renewable energy (VRE) and storage. However, current market settings and investment mechanisms are failing to support the GPG capacity needed for both regular firming and emergency insurance against high-impact, low-probability (HILP) VRE droughts. We take a closer look at whether a new and expanded Reliability and Emergency Reserve Trader (RERT) framework could provide a viable pathway to deliver insurance GPG outside the market without distorting competitive outcomes.

BY Peter Brook May 29 2025
NEM Expert Review: Key areas and direction come into sharper focus

NEM Expert Review: Key areas and direction come into sharper focus

The National Electricity Market (NEM) Review Expert Panel is currently conducting public forums.  The Australian Energy Council attended the Sydney forum, where the Panel shared insights gathered from market participants through submissions and bilateral discussions, and presented indicative directions for feedback. The strong attendance at the Sydney forum indicates the importance attached to the review within the energy sector.  With further forums planned through to early June, we take a look at what we learnt, what happens next and what we see as the key areas for focus. 

BY David Feeney May 22 2025
Climate and energy: What do the next three years hold?

Climate and energy: What do the next three years hold?

With Labor being returned to Government for a second term, this time with an increased majority, the next three years will represent a litmus test for how Australia is tracking to meet its signature 2030 targets of 43 per cent emissions reduction and 82 per cent renewable generation, and not to mention, the looming 2035 target.  With significant obstacles laying ahead, the Government will need to hit the ground running. We take a look at some of the key projections and checkpoints throughout the next term.

BY Rhys Thomas May 15 2025
Principles-based regulations: What are the opportunities and trade-offs?

Principles-based regulations: What are the opportunities and trade-offs?

As Australia’s energy market continues to evolve, so do the approaches to its regulation. With consumers engaging in a wider range of products and services, regulators are exploring a shift from prescriptive, rules-based models to principles-based frameworks. Central to this discussion is the potential introduction of a “consumer duty” for retailers aimed at addressing future risks and supporting better outcomes. We take a closer look at the current consultations underway, unpack what principles-based regulation involves, and consider the opportunities and challenges it may bring.

BY Braeden Keen May 08 2025
2025 Federal Election: Distinctly Different Energy Policies

2025 Federal Election: Distinctly Different Energy Policies

Energy has been a major issue and point of difference for the major parties. Labor and the Coalition offer sharply contrasting visions, with significant implications for generation investment, grid reliability, emissions outcomes, and regulatory certainty. With a minority government considered a strong possibility, we examine the competing platforms of Labor and the Coalition, as well as the positions of the Greens, Teals, and key Independents.

BY Tom Monaghan May 01 2025
Will power prices come down?  Not as a result of the current election announcements

Will power prices come down? Not as a result of the current election announcements

Australia’s energy system is undergoing a complex, large-scale transition which requires stable, long-term policy and investment signals. Recent announcements have focused on short-term relief measures, but these do little to address the underlying structural drivers of power prices. Achieving lower cost outcomes for consumers will depend on the timing and volumes of renewables integration (particularly wind), investment in firm, dispatchable energy sources, and better integration of consumer energy resources. Chief Executive, Louisa Kinnear, assesses the policy proposals made by both parties, and offers up a range of suggestions on what government and policymakers should focus on in order for the energy transition to be delivered at the lowest cost.

BY Louisa Kinnear Apr 24 2025
Certificate schemes – good for governments, but what about customers?

Certificate schemes – good for governments, but what about customers?

Retailer certificate schemes have been growing in popularity in recent years as a policy mechanism to help deliver the energy transition. The report puts forward some recommendations on how to improve the efficiency of these schemes. It also includes a deeper dive into the Victorian Energy Upgrades program and South Australian Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme.

BY Rhys Thomas Apr 17 2025
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