No two Australian households are the same - and different people want and expect different things from their energy system. Until now consumer choices have been limited by technology, but digitalisation has advanced to the point where it is time to consider a completely new approach. The Post 2025 project is working to capture and extend the benefits of digitisation for everyone into the future.

Consumers are already investing in their own rooftop energy generation – the system needs to be able to unlock the full value of that for everyone. And we need to be able to do it on fair terms. The industry is now focused on turning networks into trading platforms where consumers can be the drivers of change and regulatory reform will support market development along those lines.

We are already seeing more take-up of distributed energy resources like batteries, electric vehicles and smart appliances. They can enable higher levels of domestic demand response, smooth peak demand on the grid and help stabilise the power system – making the most of all the energy in the system, wherever it is produced or stored and opening a whole new world of opportunities for households and businesses.

Updated regulatory reform will support this kind of market development where consumers can enable higher levels of domestic demand response, smooth peak demand on the grid and help create a more stabilised power system, opening a whole new world of opportunities for households and businesses.

We need to act now to maximise the consumer investment made to date and avoid more investment in networks that may not be needed. Failure to do so would mean that either fewer people are able to export solar to the grid or everyone will have to pay more to build new substations and poles and wires will rarely be needed in the future.

How digitalisation is changing the national electricity market

Appliances in our homes and businesses are increasingly automated. They are becoming smarter and playing an increasingly important part in managing demand to reduce system costs and save people money.

Consumers - or someone acting on their behalf - can set and forget devices such as batteries, pool pumps, air conditioners and electric vehicles to consume electricity at the cheapest times and export it back to the grid at times when it has the most value. More sophisticated consumer participation such as this takes the pressure off the grid and reduces the overall costs of the system. It also generates returns for families and businesses who are investing in smart appliances and distributed energy resources of all kinds.

Digitalisation creates the opportunity to build a grid where customers can continue to meet their primary household and business needs as energy users, benefitting from an increasingly sophisticated array of services and at the same time use their assets to create value across the system for everyone.

High levels of understanding, trust and cooperation to achieve these goals and that why we need to work together in new ways to deliver the reforms.

Consumer differences and implications for market design

The market needs to recognise consumers will seek different services and products, have different needs and risk tolerances and have competing demands outside the electricity market.  Their responses to any market signals will be weighed against these demands, or they may not have the ability or motivation to respond at all.  The complexity of the market, in terms of the consumer’s experience with engaging with it, also needs to recognised by market design.

Complexity can be a significant barrier to consumers being able to take up the benefits of new service offerings and can lead to poorer outcomes, particularly for vulnerable consumers.