Energy Consumers Australia were invited to provide evidence to the UK House of Lords inquiry into the work of Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), a non-ministerial government department which regulates the UK’s gas and electricity markets. The inquiry was focussed on Ofgem’s role in the transition to net zero and whether changes are needed to its objectives and powers or its role in the wider energy system. It also considered how net zero impacts Ofgem’s other responsibilities such as affordability and the impact on consumers. The Industry and Regulators Committee reached out to Energy Consumers Australia in order to get an international perspective on these issues.

We were pleased to participate in the oral evidence session which took place online on 13 July 2021. There, our CEO Lynne Gallagher discussed the concerns of Australian households and small businesses in the context of the second transition – the uptake of solar and battery technology in homes and businesses – and our role in collaborating with the sector, bringing together economic, engineering and social perspectives to deliver consumer outcomes. You can watch the full meeting on Parliment TV here.

We also provided written evidence to the Committee in the form of a submission, which presents learnings from the Australian perspective. We outline how we consider the priorities of consumers, the costs associated with the transition to net zero, and the changes in how consumers engage with the energy system in our work. We value the importance of being able to share learnings between nations in the global energy space, we are constantly learning from the experiences of other countries and were pleased to be able to support our UK colleagues in understanding the Australian perspective.

Read our full submission here.