Retail Tariff Tracker
Building the evidence base of the energy costs facing small and medium enterprises.
Latest resultsBackground
Increases in energy costs can adversely impact all businesses, large or small, undermining their long-term profitability and contribution to the Australian economy. Energy Consumers Australia commends the attention that has been brought to bear in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Retail Electricity Pricing Inquiry on the unacceptable pressures facing Australian businesses and consumers as a result of the price increases over the past ten years.
Through ongoing work on the SME retail tariff tracking project Energy Consumers Australia continues to build the evidence base of the costs facing small business, particularly those that are energy intensive and are unable to pass on those costs. As in other markets, for competition to be effective the transparency of information is an important tool so that consumers can participate with confidence.
The Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Retail Tariff Tracker is an ongoing project for Energy Consumers Australia. It collects data every April and October, with reports on trends published in June and December.
Key findings and all published reports can be accessed below.
Key Findings: December 2019
Electricity bills were lower in December 2019 for most small businesses across Australia, with price decreases (between 2% and 6%) in most jurisdictions when compared with a year earlier. The exceptions were virtually no change in electricity bills in the Northern Territory, and increases in Western Australia (4%) and the Australian Capital Territory (5%)
Bills were lower for most small businesses using gas, with falls in Victoria, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory compared with a year earlier. There were price increases (between 2% and 5%) in New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania.
The introduction of Default Market Offers in some jurisdictions, and the Victorian Default Offer, have seen significant falls in the bills of small business on standing offers – 9% in New South Wales, 27% in Victoria, 6% in South East Queensland and 8% in South Australia.