IPART has released new reports on the performance and competitiveness of the NSW retail electricity and gas markets, showing that while several years of rising energy prices are challenging consumers, there are ways to lower energy bills.
Tribunal member Jonathan Coppel said IPART monitors competition and consumer outcomes in the NSW retail electricity and gas markets and reports annually.
“We found that if you haven’t switched energy plans recently, you could be paying more than you need to,” Mr Coppel said.
“However, around one-third of NSW households do not review their energy plan or look for better offers each year.”
Mr Coppel said it is also important for consumers to check their eligibility for NSW Government rebates on the Service NSW website.
“Households reported electricity costs as their third largest concern in 2025, only behind the cost of living and the economy,” he said.
“The NSW Government offers rebates to help families, seniors, and lower-income households with energy bills. But in 2023-24 only 61% of eligible households claimed these rebates, meaning about 470,000 households missed out.”
IPART also found demand tariff plans continued to be more expensive than time-of-use and flat-rate plans. For a household with a typical load profile and no solar in Sydney or Newcastle (the Ausgrid network) a demand tariff plan was up to $300 more expensive on average. Households on a demand tariff plan can move to a time-of-use plan but typically can’t move to a flat-rate plan.
Mr Coppel said new rules coming in 2026 will make it easier for people to access rebates, switch to cheaper offers, and limit price increases for energy plans to once a year.
“But we still encourage people to visit the Energy Made Easy website to see if there are cheaper offers available,” he said.
The reports also found that fewer households and businesses were using gas in 2024-25 and the trend of customers switching to electricity is expected to continue as policies and community preferences encourage electrification.
The full reports are available on the IPART website.
Media Contact: Mark O’Brien, 0427 105 865, media@ipart.nsw.gov.au.