Reduced power bills for consumers and a more efficient network could be among several benefits if a rule change request by Energy Consumers Australia to the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) is successful.
The rule change request aims to help modernise planning for Australia’s Distribution Network Service Providers (DNSPs), requiring them to prepare for expected increases in the two-way flow of power from homes and businesses to the network and increases in the use of electricity for transportation and appliances currently using fuel and gas.
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It also aims to create greater transparency in network decision-making and greater oversight and transparency in network planning processes, ensuring consumers get greater value from their investment in the network.
“Australians should be paying a fair share for their energy and not a cent more,” Energy Consumers Australia general manager, advocacy and policy Brian Spak said.
“The distribution network—the local poles and wires that connect our homes and businesses to the broader grid and one another—are the single biggest element of household electricity bills.
“This rule change request will help ensure that consumer money is being well spent and lead to lower power bills for consumers in the long term.”
Recent decisions by the AEMC have justified the acceleration of smart meters, in part from network companies having better access to more data from them. This rule change ensures that they use that new data to better plan the network and use their infrastructure more efficiently.
It also helps align local network planning with the Integrated System Plan, which focuses on the large-scale part of the system.
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Other targeted benefits from the rule change include generating more value from already available data and providing consumers and third parties with the information they need to make informed decisions about when and where to invest in solar, batteries, electrification, and distributed energy resources.
Further consultation by the AEMC on the rule change request will take place later in 2025.
