Affordability is key to ensuring that households have access to essential energy and water services.

PIAC continues to engage with government and regulators on pricing regulation and sustainability programs that are likely to impact on affordability.

In addition, PIAC promotes the role of rebates and concessions in ensuring that low-income and vulnerable households are not forced, through rising energy bills, into financial hardship and ultimately disconnection. 

PIAC often does this work by making providing submissions to reviews and inquiries on energy and water issues. These have included the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal’s determination of regulated retail energy and water prices, review of the NSW Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA) Scheme, and the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into the Urban Water Sector.

PIAC organises the biennial EWCAP conference. The most recent conference was held in 2011. It focused on Competition & Consumers, and how varying levels of competition in energy markets contribute to a range of outcomes for consumers.

PIAC launched a new research report at the conference. The report, Choice? What Choice?, assesses how consumers experience electricity market competition in five NSW rural and regional areas.

Energy Poverty

PIAC believes that everyone must be able to access an adequate supply of energy in a dignified manner. Energy poverty happens where this is not the case.

Energy poverty affects people’s day-to-day lives, especially impacting on their health and wellbeing.

In 2010, in recognition of Anti-Poverty Week, EWCAP conducted and filmed four short interviews – with an energy researcher, a sociologist and an energy consumer – focusing on Energy Poverty.