Following the departure of Sarah McNamara in April 2024, the Australian Energy Council (AEC) has appointed Jacana Energy CEO, Louisa Kinnear, as its new Chief Executive. AEC Chair, Damien Nicks, said the Board was delighted to have someone of Ms Kinnear’s calibre at the helm of the peak body for generators and retailers as it delivers its refreshed strategy and [...]
The Queensland Government has put forward new regulations that will allow energy customers with smart meters to return to flat tariffs. Under the proposed change, South East Queensland households moved to time of use tariffs following the installation of a smart meter, will now be able to revert to a flat tariff. This change builds on the State Government’s existing proposal [...]
The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has introduced new rules that will enable customers to maximise value from flexible consumer energy resources (CER) and exercise greater control over their energy use. CER are smaller-scale energy resources owned by customers, which can produce, store, or vary how they use energy. There are newer forms of CER such as solar panels, batteries, and electric [...]
Horizon Power’s Smart Connect Solar program has reached its final milestone and has now been expanded to all towns in the utility’s service area. Enabled by Horizon Power’s Distributed Energy Resource Management System – DERMS – Smart Connect Solar has been completed ahead of schedule, enabling the regional energy provider to achieve its strategic goal of ensuring there are zero [...]
A new report from Energy Networks Australia has highlighted opportunities within the distribution grid that can be unlocked and enabled now, to deliver more benefits for customers. The time is now: getting smarter with the grid report is based on extensive modelling by independent experts L.E.K. Consulting, and calls for changes to support customer choices and enable a local grid [...]
SBS has committed to a ten-year renewable energy power purchase agreement (PPA) with ZEN Energy, providing price certainty for SBS and establishing a model for decarbonising the media industry. ZEN Energy will supply SBS’s New South Wales and Victoria-based operations with 100 per cent renewable energy over the next ten years with large-scale generation certificates (LGCs) uniquely paired with the [...]
The Essential Services Commission has formed a partnership with key experts to develop better practice guides for energy and water utilities to support consumers who are experiencing family violence. Utility spoke with social entrepreneur and Adjunct Associate Professor, University of New South Wales School of Social Sciences, Catherine Fitzpatrick, about her role in this partnership and how utilities can help [...]
Communities can now apply for funding under the first round of AusNet's $12 million Energy Resilience Community Fund, which was established following the storms in February 2024. AusNet said that close to $3 million has already been distributed to help support communities impacted by these storms. AusNet Executive General Manager, Liz Ryan, said the fund was created with a [...]
Yarra Valley Water has been shortlisted as a finalist in the 2024 Australian Service Excellence Awards (ASEAs), which celebrate outstanding customer service across all industries in Australia. Yarra Valley Water was nominated in the Customer Service Team of the Year category in the prestigious awards, which are run by the Customer Service Institute of Australia. Yarra Valley Water Managing [...]
To ensure that network plans align with the long-term needs of consumers, AusNet undertook a groundbreaking study to quantify the value customers place on a range of benefits. Twenty years ago, it may have been hard to believe that we could power our cars using a standard power-point in our home garage, or use smart technology to automatically warm our [...]
A new initiative from the New South Wales Government aims to help businesses and councils harness the power of renewable energy zones (REZs). The Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo) has partnered with the Business Renewables Centre Australia (BRC-A) to help businesses understand how they can buy electricity directly from renewable energy generators such as solar and wind farms, and [...]
Western Australian households are set to receive a $700 Household Electricity Credit aimed at relieving cost of living pressures as part of a partnership between the Federal and Western Australian Governments. The rollout will begin in July 2024. The Western Australia Government's 2024–25 Budget included $492 million to deliver a $400 electricity credit to all households and more [...]
The partnership will see AGL roll out Kaluza’s digital technology platform over the next three years, designed to provide a flexible technology solution that digitises and simplifies energy billing. The platform is designed to transform its customer operations as part of its Retail Transformation Program. The program is expected to focus on enhancing the customer and agent experience by significantly [...]
AGL announced it has spent more than $35 million on customer support initiatives, including debt relief, energy bill credits and supporting customers impacted by family and domestic violence, in the past 12 months. AGL launched its $70 million two-year Customer Support Package in 2023, with 2024 expected to see AGL deliver ongoing support with a focus on developing new initiatives [...]
Energy Networks Australia’s Energy Network Conference and Exhibition is a biannual event that brings together leading experts, members and stakeholders from within the energy industry. Held in Adelaide in late March, this year’s conference discussed the transformation of the energy grid to provide services and value that the consumers of the 21st century demand. One of the conference’s keynote speakers was Laura Sandys, Chair of the UK Government’s Energy Data and Digitalisation Taskforces and a renowned expert in energy and sustainability.
By Stan Krpan PSM, Chief Executive Officer, Solar Victoria Phasing out gas in favour of electric domestic hot water systems is an essential step in Australia’s pathway to net zero. Not only do electric water heating technologies offer greater efficiency , they also provide significant demand flexibility to better suit renewable generation. However, as this industry grows, it’s important that [...]
The utility has also committed to a plan to improve its systems and ensure that communities are supported in future power outages. The Essential Services Commission (ESC) has accepted a court enforceable undertaking from AusNet following a failure to provide adequate power outage information and customer communication channels after the February 2024 Victorian storms that affected 255,000 AusNet customers. AusNet’s [...]
The New South Wales Government has unveiled a scheme to save consumers up to $1,200 on the purchase of a heat pump hot water heater. The New South Wales Government has begun to roll out its Heat Pump Hot Water Rebate initiative, a component of the Energy Savings Scheme (ESS). The program is designed to accelerate energy-efficient technology adoptions across [...]
The Victorian Essential Services Commission has released its March 2024 Victorian Energy Market Report (VEMR), which covers the period from 1 October to 31 December 2023. Published quarterly, the VEMR aims to help customers understand how the energy retail market works and what they need to do to get the best out of it. It also highlights key compliance and [...]
The Federal Government has introduced new rules for telecommunications companies designed to better support customers struggling to pay their phone and internet bills. The new Financial Hardship Standard – developed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) – means telcos must take all reasonable steps to proactively identify customers who may be experiencing financial hardship, ensure they provide appropriate [...]
The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has released its draft determination of the Default Market Offer (DMO) for electricity prices in 2024-25. Known as DMO 6, the draft determination sets out the approach the AER intends to take to determine the final DMO price which will be released in May. The draft determination is subject to public consultation and stakeholder feedback, [...]
The Victorian Government’s Essential Services Commission (ESC) has released its draft decision on the 2024–25 Victorian Default Offer and is seeking feedback from the public. The draft decision proposes to reduce the Victorian Default Offer by around $112 (or 6.4 per cent) for residential customers and around $266 (or seven per cent) for small business customers from 1 July 2024. [...]
The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has revealed that average annual wholesale electricity prices in the National Electricity Market (NEM) fell significantly in 2023 in its latest Wholesale Markets Quarterly Report. Average annual wholesale electricity prices fell by between 44 per cent and 64 per cent, while average annual east coast gas market spot prices fell by 43 per cent in [...]
By Rebecca Todesco, Utility Magazine With different sizes, budgets and an array of essential services on offer, it’s normal for utilities and industry organisations to have differing company priorities. In spite of this, a common theme that is shared across the industry is a focus on customer experience and satisfaction. Securing the satisfaction and loyalty of the people it services [...]
The New South Wales State and Federal Governments have unveiled a $206 million package for energy saving upgrades in social housing properties, including a number community renewable energy projects. The package includes access to solar for low-income renters and apartment residents. The government said that some social housing properties are among the least energy-efficient homes in the country, often lacking [...]
Speed and security are the two principles with which the key management system was developed. The result of an innovative collaboration between Harcor and Amtac, Keys-on-Tap is a new revolutionary key management platform that takes those two core principles to new levels. Keys-on-Tap paves a critical avenue for fleet management and includes capabilities that have never been made accessible before [...]
The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has reported lower demand for energy and a fall in wholesale electricity and gas prices during the July to September quarter of 2023 in its latest Wholesale Markets Quarterly Report. The report shows average wholesale electricity prices in the National Electricity Market (NEM) were less than half that seen at the same time last year [...]
Working with leading telecommunication provider Optus, Spectur has delivered surveillance solutions to protect critical assets from theft and vandalism. After three years of partnering together, Optus and Spectur will extend their collaboration to boost security for vulnerable telecommunication assets and support Optus’s commitment to strengthening mobile network security. Optus has updated its Statement of Works with Spectur through an existing [...]
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