Analysis

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New survey shows shifts in consumer sentiment

The latest in a series of surveys on the experience of consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic has provided a snapshot of the performance of retailers, as well as the level of concern among consumers about managing their power bills.

BY Carl Kitchen Apr 15 2021

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The retail regulatory framework: Still fit for purpose?

During the height of COVID-19, Australian retailers were concerned that the impacts of government interventions might unintentionally impact the ability of retailers to meet their upstream obligations. The impacts on retailers of providing additional protections – on top of the already notable consumer protections in place - and the longer-term debt implications for customers remained a concern.

BY Ben Barnes Apr 08 2021

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Re-regulation: What do latest retail reports reveal?

At the end of November each year, the AER and ESC publish their assessments of the performance of the retail market for the previous financial year.

BY Ben Barnes Dec 03 2020

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Putting the squeeze on prices and competition

A new paper has found a drop in the spread of retail market offers following the re-introduction of price re-regulation in July last year.

BY Carl Kitchen Oct 08 2020

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Help To Stay On Track: Retail help during COVID-19

The ongoing challenges of COVID-19 - and most recently the hard lock down in Melbourne and restrictions more broadly in Victoria - have brought the economic stress on households to the fore.

BY AEC Sep 10 2020

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Littlechild assessment: Did the UK watchdog get it wrong?

Energy affordability and the benefits of competitive markets have been under intense scrutiny in recent years. Concerns about affordability led to a major inquiry into the retail market by the UK’s competition regulator.

BY Carl Kitchen Aug 06 2020

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Retail stress: An emerging COVID challenge

Australia remains in a two-pronged crisis caused by COVID-19. As providers of an essential service, energy retailers will play a key role in both the economic crisis likely to impact Australia for years to come, and the health crisis.

BY Ben Barnes Jul 23 2020

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Preparing for the Consumer Data Right: Balancing opportunity and risk

With the Consumer Data Right underway in the banking sector, attention has now shifted to getting the energy sector CDR-ready.

BY Rhys Thomas Jul 16 2020

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Default Market Offer: Missing the mark in 2020-21

On 30 April 2020 the Australian Energy Regulator released its updated Default Market Offer prices for 2020-21.

BY Sarah McNamara Jun 18 2020

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What is “Effective Competition” and do price caps help or hinder?

Energy affordability has been on the radar in Great Britain in much the same way as in Australia with questions being raised about the benefits of the competitive market and the level of household bills attracting increasing amounts of political attention.

BY Carl Kitchen Oct 24 2019

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Putting VEPC to the test: Is shopping around really worth just $45?

When grand statements are made about the value of engaging in the retail electricity market, they are generally made by one of two kinds of people: Those who claim to know something about the market, and those that don’t. The latter category tends to be the domain of commentators aiming for effect. The former category tends to revolve around data.

BY Ben Barnes Sep 05 2019

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BEAP: How well will it work for small business?

On Monday the Commonwealth Government launched the Business Energy Advice Program (BEAP). The $11.7 million program aims to help small businesses across the nation save money on their energy bills and increase their energy efficiency.

BY Ben Barnes Aug 29 2019

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The Energy Charter: A year of firsts

The Energy Charter is a world-first initiative to unite Australia’s energy industry to improve customer outcomes.

BY Sabiene Heindl Jun 27 2019

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A path to success or a road to nowhere?

The Victorian Government appears committed to implementing its crowning piece of Retail Electricity Market reform on 1 July. Legislation to enable the Victorian Default Offer (largely a rebranded Basic Service Offer) has passed the Parliament, and the Essential Services Commission has provided advice to the Government setting out its views on the price of the VDO.

BY Ben Barnes May 09 2019

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Electricity retailing: Making it personal

Electricity retailers have experienced a steady rise in new competitors, and an increase in customer churn in the wake of deregulation. And with that comes an increased pressure on prices, according to a recent McKinsey & Company report.

BY Justine Lovell May 09 2019

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Mandatory electricity code: ‘Sparking’ up the wrong tree

On 23 February the Morrison Government announced that it would impose a mandatory industry code on electricity retailers, known as the Electricity Retail Code.

BY Rhys Thomas Mar 21 2019

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Re-regulating the market: Short term gains and long term pains

Re-regulating the retail price is back on the agenda with the Federal Government determined to implement a default offer and the Victorian Government announcing its “same same but different” Victorian Default Offer. The Federal Government says the changes will mean significant savings for “ripped off” Australian families, but is that really the case?

BY Ben Barnes Mar 20 2019

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Divestment powers: Truly draconian or last resort?

Next week the Federal Government is expected to introduce its self-titled “big stick” legislation in an attempt to address power prices. But divestiture powers have been considered by numerous reviews into competition policy and rejected. We take a look at what the reviews found.

BY Carl Kitchen Mar 20 2019

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Cost of coal: “Most important, but overlooked” factor in power prices

BloombergNEF’s report shows that the cost of coal power generation in the NEM has doubled from 2016 levels, whilst EnergyQuest’s report highlights that coal continues to be the mainstay of generation in the NEM. We take a look at the reports and the factors at work.

BY Carl Kitchen Mar 20 2019

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NEM: Technology and policy shifting the market

The National Electricity Market is the subject of numerous proposed government interventions, much of it appears to be driven by a view from government and regulators that the market is insufficiently competitive. Respected economist, Rajat Sood, has contemplated that issue and the profound technological and policy shifts that are underway. What his report found is very significant.

BY Ben Skinner Feb 07 2019

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