Rooftop solar, home batteries and smart technology are transforming Australia’s electricity system and helping many households cut their power bills. But a controversial draft review from the Australian Energy Market Commission has sparked debate about whether electricity pricing is shifting costs onto people who've invested in consumer energy resources, or alternatively, those who can least afford them. Gavin Dufty, the national director of energy policy and research at the St Vincent de Paul society, draws on years of data from the Vinnies Tariff Tracker project to show what households actually pay for electricity across the country. He argues the current system may be creating new inequities between households able to invest in solar and smart technology and those who cannot, including renters and low-income households. At the centre of the debate is a difficult policy question: should electricity pricing reward households that reduce their reliance on the grid, or should everyone pay more to simply stay connected? The outcome of the AEMC’s review could shape how the costs of Australia’s energy transition are shared.

What if the clean energy transition is ultimately led not by utilities or renewable energy companies, but by the data and AI industry? Luis F. Gonzalez, Chief Data and AI Officer at Aboitiz Power, argues that as data and energy become more intertwined, it will be the data sector that finances, shapes and champions decarbonisation. He says AI doesn’t just consume electricity — it changes the economics of who builds and controls energy infrastructure. And although he doesn’t want Face Book to run our power grids, he argues the only type of company capable of massive data brokerage for millions of consumer energy resources is a data company. While openly optimistic about the benefits of intelligence-driven systems, he also acknowledges the risks of monopoly power and that energy regulators are not yet ready for what’s to come.

Australia’s home battery rollout is accelerating, but many households may not realise they’re buying systems that are effectively locked to a single manufacturer’s software. Tech entrepreneur Simon Hackett explains why a lack of interoperability strips consumers of real control over batteries they’ve paid for and how closed, cloud-controlled systems risk higher costs, stranded assets, and weakened trust in virtual power plants. He outlines an alternative vision where open software allows households to optimise their energy use, respond to real-time prices, and create real power plants rather than virtual ones which serve someone else’s business model. At stake is whether Australia’s battery boom empowers households, or quietly hands control back to manufacturers and retailers.

Apartment residents are largely shut out of Australia’s rooftop solar advantage, with only 3.5% of apartments having solar. In this episode of SwitchedOn Australia, we explore whether balcony solar could change that by allowing apartment owners and renters to plug into cheap, clean power without owning a roof. Brent Clark, CEO of Wattblock, explains why balcony solar has taken off overseas — particularly in Germany, where more than a million plug-in systems now hang from balconies — and why regulation, not technology, is the real barrier. Australia’s safety rules, metering requirements and strata laws make balcony solar that much harder here. So what needs to change for it to work safely and fairly in Australia, and enable gigawatts of untapped solar potential sitting on apartment buildings to be realised.

Australia’s retail energy market promises competition and choice, yet many households feel confused, overcharged and stuck. Former chair of Victoria’s Essential Services Commission Ron Ben-David argues the problem isn’t just high prices, but a market design that assumes consumers behave like textbook economists. He explains how “buyer beware” has produced a loyalty penalty, rising mistrust and an endless layering of consumer protections that fail to address the root cause. As the energy transition accelerates and decisions become more complex, he warns the system is becoming harder — not easier — for consumers to navigate. He makes the case for a fundamental shift to a consumer duty that would require energy companies to act in their customers’ best interests. Without rebuilding trust, he warns, the energy transition itself is at risk.

When renewable energy developers first approached the Hay Shire Council in south-west NSW, the council saw both opportunity and risk. With the region designated as a Renewable Energy Zone and major wind projects on the horizon, they knew the energy transition could bring real benefits, but also real community division. Rather than sit back and let events unfold, they took the lead, helping ensure the community would engage with the transition. In partnership with the community, Hay Shire Council developed a proactive, inclusive process that not only kept the community informed, but led to a clear, community-driven set of benefit proposals, ranging from long-term affordable energy to supported housing. Ali McLean, the Council’s Economic Development Manager, shares how local government can shape the future when it steps up early and listens closely.

Last August, Dr Saul Griffith joined SwitchedOn Australia live on the Gold Coast to talk about his new book Plug In! which shows why households are central to driving Australia’s clean energy transition. He explains how electrification can cut emissions fast, save money, and reshape the way we use energy at home and in our communities. Saul shares insights from his career advising governments, including his role in shaping the US Inflation Reduction Act, and his work with Rewiring America and Rewiring Australia. He speaks candidly about consumer power, culture wars, and the politics of accelerating change. And he makes the case for an ‘army of consumers’ to demand a better deal from Australia’s energy system.

Grassroots footy is already feeling the heat of climate change, from flooded clubrooms and damaged ovals to training sessions cancelled as temperatures climb. Footy for Climate CEO Lex Lynch explains how nearly 600 community footy clubs have needed emergency assistance since Black Summer, revealing just how vulnerable the game has become. He shares how AFL players, fans and volunteers are working together to protect the sport they love, launching practical solutions like the Power Forward program, which installs solar and batteries to slash bills and keep clubs resilient. Lex discusses why players are deeply concerned about climate impacts, how trusted sporting figures can help build community confidence, and the growing movement to future-proof local clubs. And with a goal to upgrade 500 clubs by 2030, he shows how footy can lead Australia’s climate response from the ground up.

At Narara Ecovillage on the NSW Central Coast, residents have built something rare: an embedded network and electricity retailer that’s owned and run by the people who use it. NEV Power, their volunteer-driven, not-for-profit utility, coordinates rooftop solar, a community battery and a smart microgrid so households can share energy, ride through outages and draw far less from the wider grid. It’s a sharp contrast to the commercially run embedded networks found in many apartment towers, where profits flow out and consumer choice is constrained. Dave Parris — one of two people who run NEV Power — explains what it takes for a small community organisation to operate its own network while navigating complex regulations, technical challenges and different levels of household engagement. Narara offers a glimpse of how local energy systems can build trust, resilience and sustainability when they’re designed around people rather than profit.

Last winter, Declan Kelly set out to test whether a retail plan offering three hours of free electricity could heat his Central NSW Coast rental for nothing. The experiment, which previews what millions of households may soon try under the Federal Government’s Solar Sharers scheme, revealed just how far tariff-shifting can get you in a leaky Australian home. Kelly managed to lift the indoor temperature from 15 degrees to a tropical 32, only to watch the heat disappear almost as fast as it arrived. That experience led to a larger realisation: if these offers are meant for renters and people who can’t put solar on their roofs, they will only go so far unless we confront the poor thermal performance of Australia’s housing stock. Kelly — who writes the newsletter Currently Speaking and is the regulatory policy and corporate affairs manager at Flow Power — argues that no energy-market reform can compensate for walls, roofs and windows that can’t hold heat. His experiment prompts a sharper question about what Solar Sharer can and can’t fix, and what governments and regulators must tackle if these new tariffs are to deliver genuine savings for the people they’re designed to help.