Act now to stop higher electricity charges
A recommendation by the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) in their Draft Pricing Review will increase electricity prices for low income and solar households, essentially punishing households who invested in energy efficiency, rooftop solar and home batteries. [1]
Recommendation 5 would pave the way for higher fixed network charges — the unavoidable daily fees we all pay for poles and wires — regardless of how much effort we have made to save electricity or clean energy systems we have installed.
The AEMC is proposing that because network costs are “fixed”, more of those costs should be recovered through fixed daily charges, and less through per-kilowatt-hour charges. That would mean higher unavoidable daily charges for everyone, lower usage charges, and electricity bills that barely change no matter how much energy you save or generate.
Higher fixed charges hit hardest the people who already use the least electricity or have invested in clean energy — including solar and battery households, energy-efficient homes, low-income households, renters and apartment residents, retirees and single-person households.
Tell the AEMC increasing Fixed Network Charges is unfair
Jane, an aged care pensioner in NSW, told us:
“I chose to spend a considerable amount of my superannuation funds on investing in solar panels to both reduce my living expenses in future & help with Australia's shift to renewable energy transition… This impacts my standard of living and ability to warm & cool my house which is becoming more important for my health as I age.”
[1] Draft Pricing Review (2025) AEMC, pg 36-38
Recommendation 5: “Amend the rules to focus network tariff design on efficiency, supporting a lowest-cost grid and a fairer sharing of costs among consumers.”