Australian Council of Social Service

Energy at home: Current issues for consumers
Prices, products, pressures, protections. And politics.

A briefing and discussion: For legislators, policy makers, industry, consumer advocates
Held at Parliament House, Canberra, on Tuesday 13 September, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm.

Australian energy prices are rising fast - faster than inflation, faster than wages, and faster than in other advanced economies. The energy market and its products are becoming more complex. Find out why and what this means for Australian households. Consider what can be done in response, what the future might look like and factors for consideration in policy making.

Energy is an essential household service. ACOSS and CHOICE present a one day conference about current issues in energy for the residential consumer. The program features an overview of forces affecting retail energy bills and other developments in the market, and then turns to the future; can anything be done about trends to increasing consumption and increasing bills?

Session 1: What's happening and why?

• Paul Simshauser, Chief Economist and Group Head of Corporate Affairs, AGL Energy - Presentation >>
• Matt Levey, Head of Campaigns, CHOICE - Presentation >>
• Clare Petre, Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW - Presentation >>

Session 2: What can be done? in the short term?

• Tony Westmore, Senior Policy Advisor, ACOSS - Presentation >>
• Lauren Solomon, Policy Manager, Clean Energy Council - Presentation >>
• Tony Wood, Program Director Energy, Grattan Institute
• Rod Sims, Chairman, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

Session 3: What can be done? in the longer term?

• Chris Dunstan, Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, UTS - Presenation here >> 
• Iain MacGill, Joint Director, Centre for Environment & Energy Markets, University of New South Wales - Presentation >>
• John Pierce, Chairman, Australian Energy Market Commission - Presentation >>

Presented by: ACOSS - acoss.org.au and CHOICE - choice.com.au

See full forum program >> 

See backgrounder >> 

Listen to Audio of the presentations on the CHOICE website >> 

Energy efficiency programs that work for low income households 

A conversation for government agencies, industry stakeholders and the community sector; for policy makers, program designers, service providers and funders.
Took place on Wednesday 14 September, Rydges Capital, Canberra.

Presented jointly by:
Australian Council of Social Service, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Clean Energy Council, CHOICE, ClimateWorks, Monash Sustainability Institute, The Climate Institute and UnitingCare Australia.

Program PDF version here >> 

09:30 Registration

10:00 Session 1: Setting the scene - Energy efficiency, energy affordability and opportunities

Welcome and introductions
Energy efficiency in low income households: why we need it and where we are up to
John Thwaites, ClimateWorks & Brotherhood of St Laurence, Equity & Climate Change program

Energy affordability: prices, pressures, protections
Tony Westmore, Australian Council of Social Service  - Presentation here >>

Energy efficiency policies and programs: Opportunities to improve effectiveness
Lauren Solomon, Clean Energy Council  - Presentation here >>

The current environment: alignment, misalignment and opportunities for improvement - Discussion

11.15 Break

11.30 Session 2A: Programs that work for low income and disadvantaged households
Detailed examples of existing programs designed to improve affordability of and access to energy and energy efficiency programs. The session includes programs with a diversity of approaches, target audiences and delivery agencies. This session will continue after lunch.

• Kildonan UnitingCare - National: Stella Avromopoulos, Kildonan UnitingCare - Presentation here >>
• West Program - Australian Capital Territory: Hugh Saddler, Sustainability Advice Team Pty Ltd
• Home Power Savings Program - New South Wales: Bernard Carlon, Office for Environment & Heritage
• Brotherhood of St Laurence - Victoria: Damian Sullivan, Brotherhood of St Laurence  - Presentation here >>
• Sustainability Victoria - Victoria: Katrina Woolfe, Sustainability Victoria  - Presentation here >>
• UnitingCare Community - South East Queensland: Sheryl Hateley, UnitingCare Community

12.45 Lunch

1:30 Session 2B: Programs that work for low income and disadvantaged households
Session continued from before lunch. Households and communities with particular characteristics including Indigenous; rural, regional and remote; non-English speaking - Presentation >>

2.00 Session 3: Implications for policy and programs design

• costs and benefits, successes and failures, lessons learnt
• principles in good practice program design and implementation
• processes to promote harmonisation and improved effectiveness
• building provider and workforce capacity
• finding sustainable resources

2:45 Wrap-up, close

3:00 Afternoon tea and networking