Background

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.