The New South Wales Government has asked the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) to report on retail offers and technology available to solar energy customers.
IPART is seeking information on tariff structures, types of electricity meters, storage or other products to help consumers manage electricity and bills prior to the Solar Bonus Scheme ending on December 31 this year.
“We are looking at the different types of energy meters and whether the services they offer such as in-home displays and data analytics can help home owners manage their electricity consumption and bills,” Dr Boxall said.
“Our report will provide information to assist solar customers understand and make informed decisions when the Solar Bonus Scheme ends.
“This will include information on how the changes to metering arrangements, tariffs and new technologies such as battery storage will affect customers transitioning to voluntary feed-in tariffs once the Solar Bonus Scheme ends.”
More than 146,000 customers currently receive a subsidised feed-in tariff of either 20 or 60 cents per kWh under the Solar Bonus Scheme.
When the scheme ends, solar customers will be able to select voluntary feed-in tariffs set by retailers in the competitive market, currently the rate is between 5.5 to 7.2 cents per kWh.