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 highlights are;

• 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.  

This December 2019 report shows the impacts on bills of the price changes that were announced by major retailers to take effect from 1 July 2019.

From 1 July 2019, new rules for retailers in new South Wales, South Australia and South Easy Queensland set a price cap on what consumers can be charged on standing offers. More information on Default Market Offers and reference pricing for Market offers can be found on the AER Energy made Easy website.

In Victoria, since 1 July 2019 the price of electricity under the Victorian Default Offer has been set by the Essential Services Commission.  Electricity retailers may continue to offer customers contracts that differ from the Victorian Default Offer, through market offers. More information is available from the Essential Services Commission website.

The full report can be read here and the data pack can be downloaded here.