The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) is seeking feedback from industry on how smart data options could benefit consumers alongside the release of a consultation paper on the topic.
The consultation paper focuses on real-time data on consumers’ energy usage as households continue to take up energy resources (CER) like solar, batteries and electric vehicles and use energy flexibly.
It follows a rule change request from Energy Consumers Australia (ECA) and comes after the AEMC made recommendations in 2023 to support an accelerated deployment of smart meters across the National Electricity Market (NEM).
AEMC Chair, Anna Collyer, said millions of Australians are embracing the shift to a cleaner energy system and the cost savings that CER technologies and flexible energy use, such as with timer-set devices, can unlock for consumers.
“Smart meters are the digital foundation for a modern, connected, and efficient energy system, because they turn power into knowledge and benefit everyone from system operators and networks, to households and businesses,” Ms Collyer said.
“Smart meter technology also enables customers, and their authorised representatives such as retailers, to view energy usage information on a more timely basis and at a more granular level, and this is useful for everyone to make better-informed decisions that save consumers money.
“Consumers can currently access information about their energy usage in billing cycles, and, in some cases, daily, via service provider apps, while real-time access could mean individual households receive updates about their usage more frequently, for example every five minutes.”
Ms Collyer said the AEMC is seeking stakeholder feedback on both benefits and costs of improving access to real-time data for consumers.
“We are especially interested in data sharing arrangements or expectations, any costs that might be incurred by providing data, and how the energy sector’s current energy cyber security and privacy safeguards might need to be extended,” Ms Collyer said.
“We are also very interested in how people could benefit from access to their own data and what innovative products and services could be developed using the data to help consumers manage their own energy usage and lower their bills.
“Examples of these kinds of services could include CER and demand flexibility coordination and they might be provided by retailers or third parties.”
Submissions are being accepted until 7 November 2024.
More information can be found on AEMC’s project page.
Image credit: Monkey Business Images/shutterstock.com.
