It’s estimated Australians are spending $4 billion more each year on electricity than we need to, simply because we’re not on the best energy plan available to us. But very few of us switch retailers because the process is too tedious and opaque. Frustrated by his own painful experience trying to switch electricity retailers, Matt Peterson has turned his ordeal into a startup business that could help us all save hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Automised Energy is an automated platform that helps Australians cut through the energy comparison chaos using our own data, and newly available legislation, the Consumer Data Right. Unlike many comparison services, Automised Energy isn’t tied to any retailer, which means their recommendations are driven by what's best for us, not a commission. 

Switching electricity plans sucks – and the startup making it easy

Three hours of free electricity sounds like a great deal, but Solar Sharer could leave some households paying more. Energy Futures Network director and electrical engineer, Ty Christopher argues a good policy has been undermined by the way it was designed and regulated. He says higher daily supply charges and higher electricity prices outside the free period mean some households may need to shift hundreds of dollars’ worth of energy use just to break even. Christopher argues the Australian Energy Regulator gave too much weight to “retailer viability” and not enough to the original goal of cutting consumers’ bills. He explains what went wrong, who might still benefit from Solar Sharer, and why consumers need to do the numbers very carefully before signing up.

How three hours of free Solar Sharer power can cost you more

Nelson Zheng from Pylon on why the battery rebate has been kinder to some businesses than others – and how some won't survive this ride on the "solar coaster." Plus, news of the week.

Will the home battery boom have a bust?

Tom Geiser from Good Heat on the technologies to provide carbon-free  industrial heat. Plus: LNP's diesel delusions, One Nation's burning effigies, and the biggest CIS wind project to reach FiD.

Zero carbon heat, Australia's next big challenge

Tim Ryan argues Australia is trying to build a 21st-century, consumer-led electricity system while preserving retailers as compulsory ‘middlemen.’ But retailers are businesses that have little incentive to help households use less electricity or pay less for it. And innovations such as Solar Sharer, VPPs and dynamic network tariffs, have just given retailers and aggregators new opportunities to control or profit from household energy. His alternative is the Consumers’ Grid where consumers and their smart technology have a more direct relationship with electricity networks, that would bypass retailers so they can better respond when electricity is cheap and available. Batteries and EVs can then help households save money first, while collectively soaking up excess solar, reducing peaks and making better use of the grid. Ryan is the consumer representative on the Federal government’s Data Standards Advisory Committee and his proposition is simple - design the system around consumer savings, and the benefits will flow through to everyone.

How retailers are standing in the way of cheaper power

Smart Energy Council CEO David McElrea on LNP ideology, how to close coal fired generators, and the next policy goals for solar, batteries and EVs. Plus: CEC gives voice to mayors on community benefits.

Should ageing coal generators be fed carrots or sticks?

Original Power is leading a push to protect people using prepaid meters from being disconnected when temperatures rise above 40ºC.

Inside the fight to stop prepaid disconnections

Australia is a world leader in rooftop solar and home batteries are booming. But electricity still only accounts for around 21 per cent of the energy we consume. So why are we still burning so much gas, petrol and diesel when renewable electricity is increasingly cheap and abundant? More than 30 organisations have joined forces to launch Electrify Australia, pushing to accelerate electrification across homes, businesses, transport, farms and industry. But even when the economics stack up, grid connection delays, outdated regulation, conflicting government policies and entrenched interests can stand in the way, while renters, apartment dwellers and lower-income households risk being left behind. Energy Efficiency Council policy head Jeremy Sung explains what’s holding Australia back and what needs to change to turn our renewable energy success into an electrified economy.

Can a new alliance fast-charge Australia’s electrification push?

Windlab's John Martin on the project that broke the investment drought for big wind, and what makes the sector so hard. Plus: Victoria's disarray, EV milestones, and more.

The "impossible" wind project that broke the investment drought

As NSW considers minimum energy-efficiency standards for rental homes, Renew has modelled what different levels of upgrades would mean for tenants’ comfort and power bills. Its research found that even basic improvements can make homes healthier, but may increase bills when renters begin using newly installed heating and cooling. At the other extreme, an “excellent” retrofit costs substantially more while delivering only modest additional savings. A Goldilocks package, that combines insulation, shading, efficient heating and cooling, heat-pump hot water and rooftop solar, could cut energy bills by between two-thirds and three-quarters. Renew CEO Helen Oakey discusses what NSW’s standards should require, how the work should be financed, and why incentives alone are not enough.

The “Goldilocks” energy upgrades package that could slash rental bills

Zenith Energy's Michael Buzzard on the remarkable energy transitions achieved in off-grid mines, and plans for the future. Plus: The Coalition chainsaw and other news of the week.

The off-grid mines leading the charge towards 100 pct renewables

Join Anne Delaney as she tracks the electrification of everything with people at the forefront of the electrification transition.

Switching electricity plans sucks – and the startup making it easy

SwitchedOn Australia

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