What shade of green is your business?

  • Do you use a re-usable bag when you shop?
  • Do you recycle at home and work?
  • Do you conserve water where you can?
  • Do you turn off you lights when they aren’t being used?
  • Do you try and avoid single use plastics?

These are choices we all naturally make every day, and all contribute towards a healthier planet. So, why would you not incorporate this concept into your business behaviour?

Of course, it is more complex for a business, especially larger energy users such as hotels, supermarkets, manufacturers, data centres, cold storage warehouses etc.  where large amounts of energy are required, but that doesn’t mean it has to be avoided.

Here we have tried to pull back the curtain and show you how Edge Utilities can easily assist in helping your company achieve their climate goals. This will not only allow you to future-proof your organisation but assist in ensuring your employees to feel like they work for a purpose driven company.

Now, if you investigate net-zero and what it means, a minefield opens

Do you include Scope 1? (direct emissions from company activity) and Scope 2 emissions? (indirect emissions from the power you purchase to use).  Scope 3 is an option. What is a scope 3 emission? It’s indirect emmissions that occur in your value chain, but are not controlled by you.

What are your company’s abilities to be green? Would you like a project linked – Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA) or Carbon Offsetting? Does Green Power suit you more than a solar panel?

Corporate Emission Reduction Transparency (CERT)

With the Government’s Corporate Emission Reduction Transparency (CERT) report asking companies to describe how they will set and meet their targets, the UN are placing more pressure on companies to set and meet ambitious targets. Stakeholders and customers are increasingly demanding a green pledge from companies they use. So,  the time to act is now, but where do you start?

It doesn’t have to be this hard!

Let’s start at the beginning

What is Net Zero? Well don’t panic it isn’t eliminating all emissions. We are not trying to be moved back to cave men with stone tools and no internet (Hear the hooray from all 14 year-olds!).

Net Zero’s aim is to ensure any human-produced Carbon Dioxide (and other gasses such as Methane) are removed from the atmosphere, either by technological advances, reducing emissions or planting trees (they are pretty good at taking the CO2 out of the air and replacing it with oxygen, and I think we can all agree oxygen is a pretty handy gas to have about!)

So, what do you do as a company to get there?

Well first you define your emissions and boundaries. Not to put words in your mouth but with NGERs (National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme) reporting the answer for most companies we be “Well to Gate”(WtG)*. It also means you have your Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions all easily accessible.

If you don’t have an NGERs report, you can set your own by using something like the WWF Ecological Footprint calculator. Alternatively, you can ask a Carbon Neutrality advisor such as Edge with an in-house Climate Active© Registered Consultant to define your carbon footprint.

So now you know your emissions to reduce. The big question then is, which is where we can end up in a quagmire: How green is your green?

Carbon credits

Some companies are happy to carbon offset their emissions using certificates bought from the wider market or a specific project. This can be through projects right here in Australia which create Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCU’s) or abroad through other schemes. If you are offsetting 100 per cent of all your Greenhouse Gasses as a company, you can advertise you are 100% Carbon Neutral and have achieved Net Zero.

These certificates can usually only (currently) be bought on the open market for the current year. Therefore, Edge can assist in pairing you with a project and certificates for the length of your commitment.

What if this doesn’t sound like you though – What if you want your scope 2, or electricity usage, to come from another source, not be classified as carbon neutral . What if you wish for up to 100% of your electricity usage to be renewable green, using renewable electricity. You will still meet your ‘net zero’ target but you are classifying your electricity slightly differently.

Renewable Green

Well, have you ever driven past an Ikea or Bunning’s and seen the Solar on the roof? Some of these solar panel’s feed into the Governments GreenPower scheme where you can buy electricity which has come from a government accredited GreenPower source. If more than 10% of your electricity is from GreenPower you can utilise the GreenPower logo and marketing materials for your business to meet your social licence marketing materials.

Certificates aren’t your only option, however.

We can explore options to help your company offset its emissions by purchasing renewable energy credits or by investing in a wind or solar farm. One approach is to buy enough offtake from a renewable generator to ensure that all your company’s emissions are covered.

By doing this, your company can demonstrate its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.  This can be a positive message as it shows that your company is taking concrete steps towards a more sustainable future. Imagine your CEO on a press release next to a Solar Panel – ok not that glamorous – but effective!

Wind and Solar are often touted as the main sources of green renewable electricity, but we have a vast number of options here in Australia, including Hydropower from both rivers and dams as well as an increasing number of Battery projects, Victoria is leading the way with 48% of current battery capacity but the rest of the east coast is hot on its heels, and Victoria will not hold this share for long.

Green generation

A final option is to install your own generation and use this for some of your usage. It can also be used for you to show you are physically investing in your company’s net zero pledge.

However, you want to get there, whichever green shade suits your business, we can help.

Edge will review your business’ requirements; all we need from you is a yes and we can help define the rest and paint your business with the right shade of green for you.

It really isn’t that hard. Pull back the curtain and join us. https://edgeutilities.com.au/edge-utilities-power-portfolio/ or contact Laura on 1800 334 336.

* Well-to-Gate (WtG) is a term used in the life cycle assessment (LCA) of a product or service to describe the environmental impacts associated with the production process up to the point where the product or service leaves the factory gate or production site.

Peak demand when QLD temperatures soar

blackout when demand peaks

Last Friday, the Australia Energy market operator (AEMO) forecasted a record peak demand for electricity due to high temperatures and humidity. The higher demand could have also resulted in very high electricity prices however by 5:30pm demand had dropped and electricity prices return to a normal level.

AEMO utilised its emergency powers to prevent blackouts across Queensland. As the evening peak approached on Friday, AEMO intervened and enabled Reliability and Emergency Reserve Trader (RERT) to fill the  projected shortfall in generation. Between 5.30 pm and 9.30 pm, RERT panel members reduced consumption on-site or increased on-site generation which resulted in the overall demand for electricity across QLD to fall.

Currently, on a “normal” day, demand is easily filled with a combination of solar, wind, gas, and coal. On Friday, the system became more dependent on scheduled generation like gas and coal-fired powered stations and solar and wind generation was low. Queensland currently has reduced generation across its coal fired generators following the failure of two power stations (Callide C3 and Callide C4) in 2022. These power stations are currently not operating and undergoing repairs. On extreme days, an increase in demand can mean the difference between “normal” prices and the lights staying on due to demand outstripping supply.

Thanks to AEMO’s intervention, electricity prices did not reach the market cap of $15,500/MWh, demand dropped below the expected record levels and no blackouts occurred.

Queensland has high ambitions to replace the coal fleet with renewable and storage, however, days like last Friday only reinforce that coal-fired generation still plays a significant part in system security and price outcomes in the QLD.

Edge Utilities offer market leading services for business and strata energy users. We help you navigate the ever-changing energy landscape, focus on renewables and save on your power bills through our Edge Utilities Power Portfolio. Reach out, we would love to assist you: info@edge2020.com.au or call on:1800 334 336

NSW progress in a bid to replace their last 5 coal-fired generators

NSW Waratah

AEMO Services recently conducted its first round of tenders for Long-Term Energy Service Agreements and Renewable Energy Zone Access Rights to support the transition to renewables in NSW. 16 projects were shortlisted, totaling 4.3 GW of generation and storage in its first auction.

To enable the transition from coal to renewables, investment in NSW is likely to be over $32B to allow renewables to fill the gap as the last 5 coal fired generators in the state retire over the next 10 years. AEMO Services will be running two auctions per year until 2030 to source a total of 14 GW. The next auction is likely in July 2023.

Replacing the last five coal generators with renewables and storage should lead to lower energy prices in the long run because:

  1. Renewable energy sources are plentiful in Australia, which should eventually lead to price stability and security of supply.
  2. The use of renewable energy reduces our dependence on fossil fuels, which are subject to price fluctuations and geopolitical tensions.
  3. The deployment of energy storage technologies such as batteries can help aggregate renewable energy sources better, making it easier to mix them to meet NSW’s energy needs.

The 16 selected projects will have to submit their financial bids to AEMO Services by 10th February, with unsuccessful projects able to resubmit in future rounds.

We are looking forward to seeing more projects reach financial close to bring more renewable energy to the grid as this will enable our Edge Utilities Power Portfolio to access renewables at more competitive prices for our customers.

If you would like a strategy to ensure your company procures energy to support sustainability and growth in renewables, please reach out to discuss your options.  To save on electricity spend, you can also join our Edge Utilities Power Portfolio, read more: https://edgeutilities.com.au/edge-utilities-power-portfolio/ or call us on: 1800 334 336 to discuss.  

When will businesses see the recent reduction in wholesale electricity prices?

Although wholesale electricity prices have reduced in recent months, it is unlikely that households and businesses will see these benefits in their electricity bills until 2024.

In late December the Federal government stepped into the energy market and intervened, placing a price cap on wholesale gas and the price of coal, essentially disconnecting the domestic energy market from the international energy market. Moreover, the Federal treasury analysed the wholesale electricity market in November 2022, comparing it with the prices we saw in December. After Federal intervention the price caps on coal and gas have dropped prices in QLD by 44% and 38% for NSW.

Following these caps being put in place, the domestic electricity market corrected and both spot and futures contracts dropped to match an underlying cost of production for electricity based on these new capped fuel prices.

However, does this mean electricity bills are going to drop a similar amount? Well, the bad news is no. Retail bills are normally locked in well in advance so many large users have locked in pricing for 2023. The underlying energy costs are only part of the retail bill as other costs include transmission, distribution and AEMO charges which unfortunately have not decreased and have the potential to increase as the market evolves.

While the underlying cost of electricity will drop with more renewable energy entering the market, the other costs on the electricity bills will now represent a higher proportion and are likely to increase.

Renewable energy requires more transmission lines to connect the generators to the grid, they require specialised services to maintain the security of the grid and will also require a higher cost generation or storage to provide firming for around the clock supply.

Edge Utilities offer market leading services for business and strata energy users. We help you navigate the ever-changing energy landscape, focus on renewables and save on your power bills through our Edge Utilities Power Portfolio (https://edgeutilities.com.au/edge-utilities-power-portfolio/). Reach out, we would love to assist you: info@edge2020.com.au or call on:1800 334 336

Hotels – how to reduce energy consumption and your rising power bill

Hotel dining and pool area

Rising energy costs are having a massive impact on hotel businesses and the travel industry across the world. A significant part of hotel operations management falls outside of filling beds and high electricity costs are a major contributor to soaring operating expenses. In addition to a price spotlight on energy there is also an important focus, and certainly customer pressure, to transition to energy supply from renewable resources. So, what can you do while the pressure is on?

Generating your own power through renewables sounds like a sensible idea but onsite renewable energy can be challenging to implement for many hotel sites, solar panels and batteries require significant investment and significant space.  It is challenging because in a post covid world priorities are changing and customers want to know hotels and restaurants are following sustainable practices, it influences their choices and this trend is continuing to grow. Millennials are particularly conscious consumers, and they are now the biggest market of all consumer age groups.

With all this in mind, “greenwashing” is not always the right path, and if generating your own power doesn’t make economic sense for your business then there are many other avenues you can take that will improve your sustainability rating, save energy and therefore reduce your hotel electricity costs.

So, what can hotels do to save on electricity?

Advances in technology now mean that there are several other solutions that can significantly reduce hotel energy outlay. In addition, energy brokers can help you buy energy more competitively. Not only can they negotiate on your behalf and buy at wholesale rates, but they can also build a power purchase portfolio that can support your sustainability goals as well as save you money.

A good place to start is to make sure that you have data on the energy use in your hotel. Keeping track of average energy usage, tracking peak times and patterns that lead to high energy bills is the most useful data you can have. Understanding your impacts will help you prioritise so you can take action in the areas which will have the highest impact. A hotel can cut its overall energy expenses 20 percent by using basic energy efficient measures, this is good for you and for the planet.

10 energy saving tips to bring electricity bills down:

  1. Tracking and processes, remembering the old saying of what is measured gets managed. Work with your team and encourage them to be aware, turn off lights, close fridges etc.
  2. Nudge your occupants to be more aware of energy consumption, even just with simple messaging. There’s an interesting study on this HERE
  3. Use LED light bulbs, they use less than a quarter of the energy of traditional bulbs and they last longer.
  4. Install smart climate and lighting control thermostats and sensors. These are real-time sensors that can adjust and detect changes in occupancy on a room-by-room basis. Clever technology that can save you money on lighting, ventilation, air conditioning and heating.
  5. Consider keycard managed power switches if you don’t already have them.
  6. Look at your equipment – modernising equipment can save. e.g., ventilation and extraction system in kitchens, refrigeration, dishwashing, your HVAC systems, pool equipment etc. There are some very interesting figures from Sustainability Victoria on equipment in the hospitality industry HERE.
  7. Retro-fit existing west (sun) facing windows with energy-saving furnishings or film.
  8. Regularly clean and service your air conditioning and ventilation systems and service your heating/hot water boilers, this can reduce the monthly energy costs by 10%.
  9. Plants and green walls help modify temperature and naturally purify the air.
  10. Definitely consider solar if it could be suitable for your premises.

Save money and the planet

With energy prices continuing to rise and customer opinion paramount, becoming energy efficient is now a necessity. Going green is no longer just a trend. 2030 and indeed 2050 is fast approaching, and we are all (thankfully!) becoming more environmentally conscious. You can reduce your operating costs and your carbon footprint with commitment and focus. Maximpact Ecosystems (a UK based advisory) estimate that in hotels:

“Energy costs amount to 5-8% of overall operational costs, and while this number might seem low or insignificant, the truth is that energy is often the second highest controllable portion of costs after labour. Energy efficient practices can provide energy savings of 20-35%, which over time can make a big impact on the bottom line.”

 

Hotel sign

The team Edge Utilities are passionate about renewables and sustainability, we are energy brokers with an eye on the planet. Our customers’ most common goals are savings and sustainability, we are pragmatic in our approach and would love to help you reach your goals.
 If you feel you need more control of your hotel’s energy spend, please reach out to discuss joining our Edge Utilities Power Portfolio (EUPP) where we use the power of bulk purchasing to help Australian businesses of all sizes save on their energy bills. We’ll conduct a free no obligation comparison to show you how you can save. Read more: https://edgeutilities.com.au/edge-utilities-power-portfolio/ or call us on 1800 334 336 to discuss. 

 

Federal and State Government agree to power bill

Last Friday National Cabinet met and agreed on the states introducing a cap on wholesale gas and coal. The temporary cap will be set at $12/GJ for gas and $125/t on coal and will not be enforced on export contracts, therefore not limiting the opportunities for high international prices.

During the meeting it was agreed that the states would sort out the coal cap and the Federal Government would change laws to legislate the $12/GJ cap on domestic gas. As the caps are focused on the domestic market, they will only have a small impact on the profitability of producers. It is anticipated that only 4% of gas 10% of coal will be covered by the cap, the remaining volumes will be exposed to international markets. As the states have been tasked with implementing the cap it is likely they will go down different routes to achieve the same outcomes.

The simplest state to implement the changes will be Queensland as the government still owns and control 80% of the coal fired generation fleet. Queensland will likely use its direction powers and instruct its government owned corporations (GOCs) to dispatch the coal assets below specific prices, where NSW will likely use changes in law to cap the price.

As the cap mechanism will be used for uncontracted gas and coal, this may have limited impact on generators, as most of the coal and gas has already been produced under longer term contracts at a cost below the proposed caps. At this stage it is unlikely that the mechanism will be in place until February despite federal politicians being recalled to Canberra on Thursday to discuss the issue.

While the bill will get the support of the House of Representatives it is expected the Greens will put pressure on the government in the Senate to limit any compensation for the coal producers.

In line with the price caps, National Cabinet also discussed an assistance package to lower the impact on families and business as a result of high inflation and high commodity prices.

If you feel you need more control of your company’s energy spend, please reach out to discuss joining our Edge Utilities Power Portfolio (EUPP) where we use the power of bulk purchasing to help Australian businesses of all sizes save on their energy bills. Read more: https://edgeutilities.com.au/edge-utilities-power-portfolio/ or call us on: 1800 334 336 to discuss.  

Market operator develops road to renewables

Just a week after reporting on a slowing of renewable energy projects to an all-time low, this week the Australia Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has published the engineering roadmap that is required to get the NEM to 100% renewables. While the roadmap doesn’t guarantee the NEM will be powered by renewables 24 hours a day all year round, the roadmap is designed to allow the NEM to be powered by renewables for hours or days at a time.

The roadmap to 100% renewables raises new challenges including the variability of output from wind and solar generation and the change required to these technologies to work with a system designed for one-way electricity flow from large synchronous generators to firm the transition away from coal-fired generators.

For years the market has seen the potential for high levels of renewables to cause system problems, this is due to the variability of output causing large swings in spot prices and lower system strength leading to a less stable network.

South Australia is a world leader in renewable energy generation, and in order to maintain system security they use synchronous condensers which maintain inertia and in doing so improves system strength, allowing for higher levels of wind and solar to operate. The transition may require more synchronous condensers to maintain system security, however newer installations are integrating these technologies to provide a similar service which may mitigate the demand.

In addition, high levels of renewable energy puts pressure on coal generators. Forcing coal-fired generators to run at minimum load while they wait for anticipated higher prices over the evening and into the night. However, the longer the spot price remains lower during the day, coal-fired generators will need higher evening spot prices to break even. At some point, the economics will not add up, and the coal-fired units will be mothballed or permanently retired. The shutting down of coal-fired generators will require large amounts of storage for countries to achieve their renewable energy targets of 83% by 2030.

While coal-fired generation is the big loser in the new world, 100% renewables combined with storage will put a lower reliance on gas-fired generation for firming or covering the peak electricity needs during the day.

If you would like a strategy to ensure your company procures energy to support sustainability and growth in renewables  please reach out to discuss your options.  To save on electricity spend, you can also join our Edge Utilities Power Portfolio, read more: https://edgeutilities.com.au/edge-utilities-power-portfolio/ or call us on: 1800 334 336 to discuss.  

Why growth is slow in renewable energy

The Clean Energy Council (CEC) recently released to its members the quarterly renewable projects report, which showed only one renewable project, Stubbo solar farm, reached financial close in Q3 – 2022. Investment in renewables is at an all-time low where quarterly investment has dropped almost 60% to $418M. As well as project growth which has slowed by almost 30%, compared to Q2 -2022 and over 60% lower than Q3- 2021.

While politicians are talking up the prospects of a renewable energy driven industry to reduce the impact of climate change, the reality is, reaching the 44GW target outlined by the federal government may be hard to achieve at the current rate of growth.

A significant number of new wind, solar and storage projects need to come online. If these projects do not come online the retiring coal generators cannot be replaced and may be forced to remain in action.

While only one renewable project in Australia reached financial close last quarter, two projects completed commissioning and three new projects started construction during Q3- 2022. Currently there are 247 financially committed renewable projects in Australia, with 221 under construction and 169 undergoing commissioning.

The CEC notes that the desire to build new solar, wind, pumped hydro and transmission lines is meeting opposition from by local communities. Some examples being, Chalumbin wind farm in North Queensland is now reducing the number of planned wind turbines it is installing by half,due to the concerns from the local community. There are also concerns for the largest pump storage hydro project that the Queensland Government is planning to construct near Mackay, after locals have discovered the mega project has the potential to flood a local town.

With ambitious renewable targets being spruced by politicians and businesses actively seeking renewable energy to aid in the decarbonisation of their operations, the question of where and when these projects will be delivered need to be asked. The majority of people support the transition to renewables but obviously not in their own backyard.

Overview of the National Electricity Market (NEM) – Quarter 3, 2022

The NEM has experienced an unprecedented year of high electricity spot prices, recently Q322 averaged $216/MWh across the (NEM) which was more than three times higher than the same quarter in the previous year and close to matching the all-time high during Q222 of $264/MWh.

Many factors influenced the volatility and elevated spot prices including:

  • A tight supply / demand balance resulting from gas flow restrictions in Europe associated with the war in Ukraine
  • Australian weather events
  • An increase in demand
  • Generator bidding behaviours
  • A reliance on thermal generation (coal and gas fired)

Coal and gas prices are at all-time highs due to international demand leading to a high cost of generation. In turn increasing the underlying fuel cost for generators, contributing to the increase in spot prices. As little energy storage is currently installed in Australia, large swings in the output from wind also contributed to the volatility in the market.

Generators who want to sell electricity to the NEM must submit a bid detailing how much energy they would like to offer in ten different price bands. Recently a lower volume of generation has been available from coal due to bidding behaviour with participants withdrawing thermal capacity and intermittent generation like solar and wind taking a larger market share.

A lower capacity factor for coal generation has resulted in coal fired availability to move higher up the bid stack, resulting in coal fired generation needing to dispatch at higher spot prices to meet their long run average costs.

Weather influences such as La Niña and a negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event increased the likelihood of rainfall across the east coast of Australia this year. With September’s rainfall being the fifth highest on record across Australia. The cloudy and wet conditions impacted solar generation and the supply of coal to power stations resulting in higher fuel prices.

Demand from the grid has increased for the first time in Q322 since 2015 as households and businesses require more electricity from the grid due to rooftop solar not generating as much as previous years due to cloudy conditions.

If you feel you need more control of your company’s energy spend, please reach out to discuss joining our Edge Utilities Power Portfolio (EUPP) where we use the power of bulk purchasing to help Australian businesses of all sizes save on their energy bills. Read more: https://edgeutilities.com.au/edge-utilities-power-portfolio/ or call us on: 1800 334 336 to discuss.  

The state of the market – rising energy costs in today’s budget explained.

Up and up

The budget handed down last night by the Albanese government really did show that there will be “hard days to come”. The treasurer, although acknowledging the international pressures and increases of electricity prices, did nothing to assist with this increasing cost on households and businesses bottom lines.

So why are international pressures a driver for the electricity we use when we turn on our lights?

Well let’s start with a breakdown of what goes into our bill, a large customer will see this split into each section, but smaller businesses and households don’t, they are just rolled into a flat tariff.

There are 4 main components of the energy we buy:

  1. The physical electrons / energy we purchase
  2. The environmental subsidies we all contribute into for a certain number of renewables to be underpinned
  3. The cost of running our electricity grid
  4. The cost of maintaining and running the infrastructure from the huge transmission lines coming across the state to the smaller distribution lines which bring the power to our business or home

The cost of the physical power we use has been on a rollercoaster the last few years. From unprecedented lows during the pandemic, when there was little global demand for our exports and lower demand from our domestic industry to the highs we are now experiencing. But to breakdown this huge shift we have to look abroad.

Let’s first address why we are looking outside of Australia. As a country our coal and gas is largely exported into Southern Asia. Their thirst for energy has increased dramatically over the last few decades and our abundance of natural resources and location made us a great partner to feed their demand. But we are not the only ones satisfying their thirst for energy, and therefore our price of export at is linked to the price other global countries will export at. Setting the ’Global price’. It is just like us going into Coles (China) and seeing Tim Tams for $20 and knowing they are $4 in Woollies (Australia), we would always shop at Woollies. Therefore, to ensure no company misses out the price is always about the same no matter where you shop.

So, if you are an exporter of coal and you know you can sell your Tim Tams to Coles for $20, why would you supply our domestic market (Woollies) at $4/pack. You wouldn’t, you would pile all the coal (Tim Tams) you could on a ship and send it away as quick as you can, and that is why we are linked to the international market. As we need the Tim Tams (or Coal) to ensure our domestic electricity demand is met. But, to do this, we also have to pay the $20/packet to make sure we can have enough here in Australia.

This international price has skyrocketed recently. Not only has demand come back from all the lockdowns caused by COVID19, but the Ukraine crisis has thrown global energy into a tailspin. Europe, who used to be nicely fed their Oil and Gas from Russia now cannot get their supply, as such they are telling everyone they will buy the Tim Tams for $25 even $30 per packet. So again, the circle of, if I can sell to them for $30 why would I sell to Woollies for the now $20 price re starts until Woollies (Australia) is now paying $30 per packet.

But as the cost of the Tim Tams go up we start thinking maybe I will have a Kingston (Gas) instead, it is easier to buy and no one has bought them all for the next 18 months at $30/pack. So, as we all start leaving behind the expensive Coal (Tim Tams) because they have all being bought and pre-ordered for 18 months and move to Gas (Kingston’s). In doing this, that price also increases, and so the spiral re-starts.

Now let’s add some spice. The delivery truck bringing those Tim Tams and Kingston’s to the shops (Power Stations) are flooded in, or the truck unloads but they all get soggy in the rain. Now they can’t be eaten (burned to make electricity). So, what happens? What was already a high price, gets higher. So, with a third La Nina forecast for Australia and flooding already affecting many regions, these deliveries are either delayed or just don’t make it. Meaning an already tight market becomes more sparce and therefore more expensive.

Now the cynical among us would say that the generators are taking advantage of this, and the market is pushing the price higher and higher because they have bought their Kingston’s and Tim Tams at $20/packet and could sell them to us at that price, but instead they know they could now charge $30 per packet so why not, they bank the $10 per packet and no one is wiser. But that is for the ACCC, and you would hope they are watching such behaviour with eagle eyes!

These are a handful of the drivers affecting our price at the moment, there are currently 7 to 10 of them all similar in their affect, that any fluctuation anywhere in the world is having huge repercussions to us at home.

But they aren’t the only changes. With huge pushes towards renewable energy and the certificates produced by them, this market is also increasing as the number of renewables is not increasing as quickly as the amount required. Therefore, again the costs go up and this is passed onto the end users in their bills. Now factor in this renewable energy is going to cost more not just now but in the future, as the cost of making the solar panels increases as the electricity price increases. Therefore, the cost of any of this de-carbonisation has just increased in price too.

But that isn’t the end of the story, finally, let’s consider the cost of bringing the power from the power station to our meter. This is a huge amount of infrastructure which is either older requiring it to be maintained or new requiring funding. Both costs are underpinned by debt. The higher the lending rate is, the higher this debt becomes and therefore the more we are charged to use their system. Further with the huge roll out in renewables this will require significant upgrades to the system as the power will be coming from less conventional areas to the load centres (think towns / cities). With the interest rates rising the cost of this debt or borrowing goes up, just like a mortgage on a house. Again, this only means one thing. An increase in pass through costs to our bills. With huge renewable ambitions and nowhere near enough funding passed down in this budget, that can only result in increases to our bills from our retailers.

Unfortunately, this means that without significant easing of many of these fundamentals, there is no relief in sight. Maybe for once the sensational headline of 35% increases in bills may turn out to hold some truth.

Edge Utilities can help:

If you feel you need to take more control of your company’s business energy spend, please reach out to discuss joining our Edge Utilities Power Portfolio (EUPP) where we use the power of bulk purchasing to help Australian businesses of all sizes save on their energy bills. Read more: https://edgeutilities.com.au/edge-utilities-power-portfolio/ or call us on: 1800 334 336 to discuss.