Energy Locals calls out ‘gen-tailers’ for driving up prices, hurting customers

Loy Yang power station in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley. Takver/Flickr, CC BY-SA

One Step Off The Grid

Start-up power retailer Energy Locals has become the second market player in a week to hit out at the greed of some of Australia’s biggest fossil fuel generators, for their role in “deliberately” pushing up consumer electricity bills and generally manipulating the market.

In a submission to the ACCC inquiry into retail electricity supply and pricing, Energy Locals – which was launched in New South Wales and Queensland in March this year by former EnergyAustralia executive, Adrian Merrick – called for an investigation into wholesale market practices that manipulated prices and “hurt” customers.

energy-retail-team copy
Energy Locals CEO Adrian Merrick, third from right, with the start-up’s retail team.

“Unfortunately there appear to be deliberate strategies in place by owners of some generation portfolios to withdraw capacity in order to drive up wholesale energy prices,” it said.

The criticisms echo those of fellow energy market upstart, Enova, which last week blamed fossil fuel generators for the big increases in wholesale prices and consumer bills that came into effect on July 01, and from network owners previously.

In a letter to customers, Enova CEO Steve Harris, said the company was “deeply disturbed by the greed of a few fossil fuel generators,” which, together with a lack of government policy around future renewable energy targets he said had “resulted in a major market failure for which electricity consumers are having to pay a heavy price.”

Energy Locals’ ACCC submission, tabled on June 30 – which mainly focuses on questionable and “confusing” retailer pricing strategies – also seeks to highlight the questionable bidding practices of wholesale generators, which it said “at a more micro and regular level” were commonly understood, within industry, to manipulate prices.

“We have also witnessed the use of unpublished offers by large retailers in an attempt to retain departing customers,” the submission says.

“We have call recordings from customers who have told us that one very large retailer in particular has offered them a discount that is 45 per cent higher than its highest generally available market offer.

“Based on current wholesale prices we firmly believe this is an example of predatory pricing and would urge the Commission to investigate this area further.”

EnergyLocals is calling for the ACCC to launch an in-depth investigation into such practices, in particular for their role in driving up power prices.

“The huge increase in wholesale energy prices in recent months cannot be attributed to customers demanding more power, with electricity usage remaining broadly flat,” the submission said.

“We strongly urge the Commission to approach not just existing market participants but those who have previous experience of operating in these areas. This inquiry will not be effective if generators and traders can mark their own homework and submit it to the ACCC.”

Merrick – who is using his own knowledge of the industry to guide Energy Locals’ business strategy, by “dramatically reducing customers’ reliance on a grid they can’t control” – said in his introductory note to the ACCC that the Australian energy market was “broken.”

“Retailers are able to offer percentage discounts that are invented on whiteboards rather than via spreadsheets, and go so far as to report to analysts how low their overall discounts are,” Merrick said.

“When faced with low wholesale prices, generators think about what assets to close, mothball or put into maintenance.

“Some networks have spent years over-investing in assets that may not be required, and fight the decision of a regulator in the Federal Court,” he said – a reference to the costly and protracted legal battle between NSW network operators and the AER.

Merrick also had a message for Australia’s policy-makers and other regulators, noting that the nation’s renewable energy assets were “quietly growing” while political turmoil over their cost and benefit continued to divide national opinion.

“We need a plan that includes decisive and committed action, not short-term political point scoring that will be undone by someone’s successor or trashed by a minority of vocal dissenters,” he said.

“We therefore welcome the inquiry into energy supply and pricing. However, we do so with a note of caution: many of the factors driving prices up rest on factors that are not immediately visible when reviewing retail supply and pricing.

“We urge the ACCC to investigate the whole supply chain including factors such as market bidding behaviour that ultimately hurt customers.”

This article was originally published on RenewEconomy’s sister site, One Step Off The Grid, which focuses on customer experience with distributed generation. To sign up to One Step’s free weekly newsletter, please click here.

Comments

8 responses to “Energy Locals calls out ‘gen-tailers’ for driving up prices, hurting customers”

  1. MaxG Avatar
    MaxG

    I have signed up with them a few months ago… and am very happy with their social business model — then happy to pay a Cent more for the kWh… however, since there is no price increase with EnergyLocals; yes ZERO for this financial year, guess who is winning? Yes, all those who signed up with them… 🙂 Go EnergyLocals.

    Hello Good People: be more agile in changing suppliers; don’t sign lock in contracts; most discounts are a scam! (All not applicable to EnergyLocals).

    What I find astounding is that the retailers who also own generators crank up the prices like there is no tomorrow, and nobody seems to care. Given their stunts, I am surprised that people stick with those clowns. Get rid of them!! NOW! Act!

    Disclosure: I have no stake or other financial interest in Energy Locals.

    1. Grace McCaughey Avatar
      Grace McCaughey

      Yes. Energy Locals and Power shop are honest and reliable. Change now and even keep your 66 cents FIT. Do it Now and give those crooked retailers/generators a kick up the bottom for being so dammed greedy.

    2. Adrian Merrick Avatar
      Adrian Merrick

      Thanks Max – we love having you as a customer!

      1. solarguy Avatar
        solarguy

        Adrian, if you increase your FIT above 12.5 cents/kwh and keep your SAC charge at the current level, I’ll jump ship from EA.

        1. Adrian Merrick Avatar
          Adrian Merrick

          Hey Solarguy, what region are you in? Adrian

          1. solarguy Avatar
            solarguy

            Maitland, Ausgrid.

          2. Adrian Merrick Avatar
            Adrian Merrick

            Ok, we can even do better than that! Our new FiT is 12.87c/kWh including GST and our daily charge has dropped a few cents in Ausgrid. The unit rate is unchanged. Our price decrease was just announced in the last two hours. As usual Renew Economy was the first to pick up on it 🙂 https://reneweconomy.wpengine.com/energy-locals-defies-industry-and-cuts-consumer-electricity-rates-79512/ You can join online or I can ask someone to give you a call whenever suits.

          3. solarguy Avatar
            solarguy

            Thanks Adrian, sounding attractive.

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