The Justice and Equity Centre (JEC) made a submission to the Australian Energy Market Commission’s review of electricity pricing and tariffs consultation paper. The review explores how energy services should be priced and regulated to benefit all consumers as new technologies like solar panels and smart meters reshape the energy landscape.
In our submission we raised that pricing structures must support all consumers, not just those with access to consumer energy resources and related technologies. We set out recommendations for a system that prioritises fairness, affordability, and simplicity to ensure consumers can access the energy they need without facing unnecessary complexities or inequities.
The JEC is concerned with current approaches that assume consumers must change their behaviour to reduce their bills. We argue instead that retail pricing should be designed to meet people’s needs. The JEC disagrees that consumers should be required to actively engage with the energy market to get fair outcomes, and advocates for reforms to ensure such outcomes are automatic and inclusive.
