Overpriced and underwhelming

PIAC responded to the ACCC’s Issues Paper regarding their inquiry into Australia’s retail electricity market. PIAC strongly supports the ACCC investigating this market and suggests that they use their powers of discovery to investigate areas of the market including the appropriateness of retail profit margins and how costs are passed on the customers. PIAC makes a number of recommendations including to improvements to help consumers get the best retail offer, investigating regressive retailer discounting limitations, marketing practices that inhibit competition and communication about hardship programs.