Consumers have become the driving force of Australia's energy transition.
While this marks a fundamental shift in how households interact with energy, it also requires significant upfront investment—rewiring homes, electrifying appliances, and upgrading infrastructure to support new energy uses.
While we agree with the recommendations made in the Productivity Commission’s Interim report, we believe there are opportunities to expand the scope of this inquiry to achieve bold, consumer-centric reform. The role of consumers and their assets in the energy system deserves greater recognition, given their potential to deliver significant system-wide benefits.
There is a need to pursue reforms that prioritise consumers, ensuring the net-zero transition delivers tangible benefits to every household, by turning consumer investments into shared savings that support a fair and affordable energy future for all.
This will require a fundamental shift in perspective, particularly in recognising that:
- ‘Energy productivity’ must be reframed to prioritise efficient energy consumption, rather than defaulting to infrastructure expansion.
- Australia has a unique opportunity to meet its energy needs by elevating demand-side resources in the energy system and reducing its energy consumption.
- Strong government intervention is needed to support consumers and ensure that consumer energy resources are integrated as a foundational part of the power system, rather than an anomaly.
