PROJECTS

Review of Electricity Retail Competition in Victoria, Australia

The problem

In the State of Victoria, Australia, average residential electricity bills had increased by around 30 per cent between 2007 and 2015. Prices charged to different consumers varied in ways that did not always seem to make sense. Three large firms dominated the retail supply market, raising questions about whether the market was sufficiently competitive.

How we helped

We recommended ways to increase retail competition and promote transparency in pricing. To assess the level of competition we analyzed retailers’ pricing strategies and trends in consumer behavior. We proposed two interventions: tendering out a “lowest cost supply contract” and requiring retailers to prominently report a nominal “comparison price” on every price offer calculated for customer profiles.

Impact

The Government of Victoria implemented our recommendations.

Our team

Alex Sundakov

Alex Sundakov

Executive Director
Peter Hoogland

Peter Hoogland

Director

How can we help you?

How can we help you?