The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has made a final determination requiring energy retailers to help consumers access concessions and rebates on their energy bills.
The AEMC has also made recommendations for jurisdictions and Services Australia to take action on longer-term solutions, including automating concession applications.
AEMC chair Anna Collyer said the final rule would help vulnerable consumers access support they are entitled to, but stressed that bigger systemic changes are needed to deliver truly equitable outcomes.
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“The final rule will help Australian households better understand what concessions or rebates they might be able to get on their energy bills, and remind them to apply whenever they sign up or switch energy plans,” Collyer said.
“However, our extensive consultation revealed that consumers face multiple barriers to accessing this help, including communication challenges, stigma, verification issues and limited time. An automated system that removes the application burden from consumers entirely would be the most effective way to overcome these compounding barriers.”
Under the AEMC’s final rule, energy retailers will be required to ask consumers about their eligibility for concessions and provide jurisdiction-specific information about what help is available whenever they sign up for an energy plan or switch to a new contract.
Australians who hold concession cards such as the Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, or Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card may be eligible for money off their energy bill, depending on where they live.
Currently, they must proactively tell their retailer they are eligible, a requirement many consumers are unaware of. While retailers already have an obligation to provide general information about concessions, the new rule requires them to provide more detailed, jurisdiction-specific information and actively ask about eligibility.
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The final rule changes will commence on 1 July 2026, aligning with the commission’s other reforms to improve consumer confidence in the retail energy market.
The AEMC also recommended a cross-agency forum of relevant jurisdictional departments and Services Australia, initially facilitated by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, to determine next steps on automating the application of concessions.
“An automated system would mean eligible consumers automatically receive help with their bills without having to navigate different application processes across jurisdictions,” Collyer said.
