EWOSA News - July 2025

In May, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) released its Final Decision in May on the Default Market Offer (DMO) electricity prices to apply in 2025-26.

The DMO acts as both a safety net—capping the maximum price electricity retailers can charge customers on standard contracts—and a benchmark for comparing other retail offers.

For the 2025–26 financial year:

• Residential customers can expect price increases of 2.3% to 3.2%, depending on whether they use controlled load (typically for hot water). This translates to an annual bill increase of $64 to $71 for households with average usage.
• Small business customers face a 3.5% increase, or about $189 extra per year on average.

You can read more on the AER website: Final DMO Determination 2025–26.

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) is leading a review into how well customer protection frameworks in the energy market are holding up—particularly as the market evolves with new technologies and services.

The Better Energy Customer Experiences review is exploring:

• The rise of new energy products and services
• The needs of customers in non-traditional arrangements (e.g. embedded networks, off-grid, or pre-paid setups)
• The effectiveness of key protections, including dispute resolution

EWOSA contributed to a joint submission alongside other Energy and Water Ombudsman offices interstate. Further consultation is expected later this year.

Learn more or have your say: Better Energy Customer Experiences

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) is reviewing how electricity pricing could better align with consumer preferences in a changing energy landscape.

Their recent Discussion Paper raised important questions, such as:

• Can we rely on retail competition to deliver products and services consumers truly value?
• How can network tariff-setting better support positive outcomes for customers?
• What role can tariffs play in reflecting customer choices and helping reduce system costs?

EWOSA has again provided a joint submission with other ombudsman offices, with more consultation expected later in 2025.

You can read more about this review here: Electricity Pricing Review

When Daniel installed a solar system in December 2024, he was looking forward to lower power bills and a greener home. But when his next electricity bill arrived, it showed much higher usage than he expected. Confused and concerned, Daniel reached out to his energy provider to find out what was going on.

The provider suggested waiting until the next billing cycle to see if the numbers balanced out. But Daniel wasn’t comfortable waiting without an investigation—especially after such a significant investment. Unsure of what to do next, he contacted EWOSA.

HOW DID EWOSA HELP?

Daniel reached out to EWOSA in February 2025 after his efforts to resolve the issue directly had stalled. His complaint was escalated to a full investigation. Daniel was clear: he wanted the solar meter checked and his bills corrected if something was wrong.

EWOSA coordinated with the provider to arrange a site visit and meter inspection. The inspection revealed that the meter had been incorrectly wired. Instead of registering the electricity Daniel was sending back to the grid, it was logging it as consumption—and recording his actual consumption as exported power.

WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?

The meter provider corrected the wiring and updated the meter data to reflect Daniel’s actual usage and solar export. His energy provider then amended his past bills to match the corrected data.

To make up for the inconvenience, the provider also gave Daniel a $200 goodwill credit. With his billing now accurate and his solar system functioning properly, Daniel felt a sense of relief—he finally had clarity and confidence that everything was back on track.

When Leah began receiving electricity bills that were much higher than expected, she grew concerned. She suspected the issue might lie with either her air conditioner or hot water system, and arranged for an electrician to investigate. The electrician found that her hot water system had been wired through the peak usage register—something that could explain the elevated charges. Still uncertain, Leah contacted her energy provider, hoping for answers. But without a clear resolution, she turned to EWOSA for support.

HOW DID EWOSA HELP?

Leah first reached out to EWOSA in December 2024, after being unable to resolve the issue with her provider. Through EWOSA’s Early Resolution process, the provider applied a credit as a gesture of goodwill, which helped reduce the amount she owed. At the time, Leah was satisfied and the case was closed in January 2025.

However, when another high bill arrived in March 2025, Leah returned to EWOSA, still unsure if something was being missed. EWOSA reviewed the situation and confirmed that the electricity meter was working correctly. They also verified that the hot water system was operating on a controlled load register and not being charged at peak rates, as Leah had initially feared.

To provide further clarity, EWOSA arranged for an independent energy assessor to carry out a site visit at Leah’s property.

WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?

The energy assessment revealed that a key appliance Leah relied on for heating and cooling was consuming much more electricity than she had realised. This insight helped her make sense of her usage patterns and the impact of her appliances on her power bills.

Leah was also offered payment assistance to help with the remaining balance. With this support and a clearer understanding of her energy use, Leah felt reassured and more confident in managing her electricity costs going forward.

Each winter, the South Australian Government releases a Winter Heating Guide to help households stay warm while managing energy costs.

Here are a few simple and effective tips from the guide:

• Open curtains and blinds during the day to let natural warmth in.
• Only warm the rooms you’re using. Use your heater to keep you warm – not to heat the entire home.
• Set your thermostat to 20°C degrees rather than 25°C – each degree lower can reduce running costs by about 10%.
• Make sure the heater is maintained properly, for example, by cleaning the filters.
• Draught-proof your home by sealing gaps around doors and windows.
• Add or improve ceiling and wall insulation to retain heat.

You can read the full Winter Heating Guide here:
Winter Heating Guide (PDF)

Did you know you can estimate how much energy your appliances are using—and what they’re costing you?

The South Australian Government website offers a handy tool to:

• See the typical energy usage of common appliances
• Calculate running costs using your bill and tariff rates
• Compare savings by shifting usage to off-peak times (if you’re on a time-of-use tariff)

Check it out here:

Calculate Appliance Running Costs