Electrification

SwitchedOn podcast: Why more consumers want less to do with the energy system

Published by

Australian households may be feeling slightly less pressure paying their energy bills, but the latest Consumer Energy Report Card from Energy Consumers Australia shows the cost of electricity remains a major concern.

The ECA’s executive manager of analysis and advocacy, Ashley Bradshaw, explains why 62% of households are still cutting back on heating and cooling to save money, despite a small improvement in bill stress, why renters continue to face far greater financial pressure than homeowners, and why many Australians increasingly want less, rather than more, involvement with the energy system.

The conversation also covers recent major reforms to reshape the energy landscape, including new network pricing rules, the rollout of Solar Sharer offers and the prospect of a new consumer duty. 

Anne Delaney is the host of the SwitchedOn podcast and our Electrification Editor. She has had a successful career in journalism (the ABC and SBS), as a documentary film maker, and as an artist and sculptor.

Anne Delaney

Anne Delaney is the host of the SwitchedOn podcast and our Electrification Editor. She has had a successful career in journalism (the ABC and SBS), as a documentary film maker, and as an artist and sculptor.

Recent Posts

Not a “dealbreaker:” Big Victorian wind project doesn’t need VNI West

The Macorna wind project will have a simpler ride through state planning, and insists it…

4 October 2026

Huge 195-tonne transformer arrives at big battery site after 1,300 km road trip

One of the heaviest and longest road trips ever undertaken in Australia's energy transition has…

4 October 2026

Australia is making big bets on a slow transition, but the technology S-curve tells a different story

Australia has a choice between investing in the future we can already see – or subsidising…

4 October 2026

One of Australia’s biggest wind farms forced to revisit off-take deals after lengthy construction delays and repairs

The lengthy delays at what would have been the country's biggest wind farm have forced…

3 October 2026

Still in the dark: Snowy Hydro’s awkward anniversary marked without promised review of Snowy 2 costings

The public remains largely in the dark about the full cost of the giant Snowy…

3 October 2026

Energy Insiders: Australia’s diesel dependence is not normal

Amandine Denis-Ryan from IEEFA on what can be done about Australia's unique and unhealthy dependence…

2 October 2026