The Smart Energy Council (SEC) warmly welcomes cost-of-living relief for Australians in the form of lower power bills.

SEC Chief Executive David McElrea said today’s default market offer from the Australian Energy Regulator clearly demonstrates that the more renewable energy we can generate, the greater the savings for Australian households.

“Half of our electricity needs are now being met by renewable energy. The result is lower power bills for millions of homes and businesses,” he said.

“The Smart Energy Council has long championed the role of solar and batteries as a key driver of lower energy costs.”

“It’s no coincidence that with rooftop solar now generating more electricity than Australia’s entire fleet of coal generators, we are seeing energy costs going down.

“What was once a niche industry has now become Australia’s most dominant source of power generation, lowering energy costs for millions of homes and businesses.”

Renewable energy is now generating half of our electricity needs, and prices are tumbling as a direct result of this clean energy transition.

“Australia’s four million solar households already know that solar saves money,” Mr McElrea said.

“Solar and batteries are doing the heavy lifting in our energy system, slashing wholesale electricity prices and shielding families from the volatile fossil fuel markets that drive up bills.”

“But we cannot stop here. To lock in these savings permanently and protect more Australians from cost-of-living pressures, we must maintain our support for home batteries and solar while accelerating the rollout of large-scale renewable generation and storage, and make sure every household – including renters and apartment dwellers – can access the benefits of rooftop solar and batteries.”

The Smart Energy Council notes increasing power bill risks remain, particularly in the form of rising network costs, and urges federal and state governments to carefully assess how these fees are being passed on to consumers.

-ENDS-

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About the Smart Energy Council

The Smart Energy Council is the peak independent membership body representing Australia’s renewable energy industry. We are a not-for-profit organisation and registered charity, advocating on behalf of our members and the wider industry for strong energy policy, increased investment, energy security and sustainable industry growth. Our work spans residential, commercial and industrial distributed energy resources (DER), including solar PV and battery storage, rooftop solar, electrification, electric vehicles and smart transport, renewable manufacturing, large-scale renewable energy, electricity grid development and emerging energy technologies. We represent our members’ interests nationally and internationally, including across the Asia-Pacific region.

If your organisation operates in the renewable energy sector, become a member to support our work, strengthen our collective voice and help shape the industry’s future.