Please quote Energy Consumers Australia CEO Dr Brendan French:
"We welcome the AER’s final decision on this year’s Default Market Offer, which will help provide much-needed bill relief for consumers and small business on standing offers at a time when concerns about energy costs are justifiably high. Household energy bills on standing offers will decrease between 1% and 11%, and small business on standing offers will see bill relief between 6% and 21%. This follows yesterday’s announcement that default prices will fall in Victoria by an average of 5%. The price reduction reflects recent changes to the DMO framework that Energy Consumers Australia advocated for.
"While this will help customers on standing offers, there are still far too many consumers paying more than they need for energy and facing financial hardship. Our research shows almost 1 in 5 Australians are currently experiencing, or are vulnerable to, energy hardship. Research from the ACCC also shows over a third of households on market offers are paying at or above the default market offer.
"We urge governments and market bodies to continue progressing the broader long-term reforms needed to ensure all consumers pay a fair price for energy. On its own, the DMO can’t protect all consumers in a market that is growing ever more complex. A consumer duty on energy providers is needed to ensure all consumers are on plans that offer fair value and are suitable for their circumstances."
Comments on the release of the Solar Sharer Offer (SSO) final determination:
"We welcome the promise of the SSO to help households cut energy costs, use energy when renewable
energy is abundant and assist those consumers facing barriers to accessing and directly benefitting from
solar and batteries. Households who can shift consumption to the free period can benefit, but not
everyone will be better off on the SSO.
"Our latest research shows that less than a third of Australians have heard of the SSO, including in the areas where the SSO will be available. It is vital that governments and retailers clearly communicate the benefits of the SSO and retailers explain to consumers the best offer for their circumstances.
"The SSO is not a silver bullet for all consumers. Strong controls must be in place to ensure it is fit for purpose for those it is sold to. Without these safeguards, consumers who are unlikely to benefit may sign up and end up worse off, ultimately undermining trust in the energy transition.
"Building and maintaining community confidence in the SSO and ensuring it ultimately delivers genuine
benefits to all consumers is vital. Targeted support measures such as energy efficiency or appliance
upgrades, as well as the increased acceleration of the smart meter rollout, are needed to ensure renters,
people in apartments and low-income households can benefit from the transition. ECA calls on all
governments and the AER to ensure that the SSO’s promise is backed by other supporting reforms."
For interview requests or more information, contact Stuart Turner on 0415 403 208
About Energy Consumers Australia
Energy Consumers Australia is the independent, national voice for residential and small business energy consumers. We enable residential and small business energy consumers to have their voices heard.
