SEQ retail electricity market monitoring

We have been monitoring the SEQ retail electricity market since 2016–17. Retail electricity prices for residential and small business customers in south east Queensland (SEQ) have been deregulated since 1 July 2016. Our market monitoring reports assist the Queensland Government to ensure that electricity customers in SEQ have the opportunity to benefit from increased competition in the market.

In June 2021, the Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen directed us to continue to report on the operation of the SEQ retail electricity market annually from 2020–21 to 2024–25. Our reports cover retail prices, discounts and incentives, retail fees, customers receiving assistance with their electricity bills, new types of electricity plans, market competitiveness and other significant issues.

In December 2023, the Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen requested that we ask retailers to provide the number of households and small businesses in SEQ which remain on legacy market offers that are now above the default market offer (DMO), and that we include this information in future market monitoring reports.

Our latest report is the report for 2022–23.

We have also made submissions to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) regarding certain aspects of their regulatory and monitoring roles in the SEQ retail electricity market. Our submissions are available below.