If you need a PhD to read your power bill, buying wisely is all but impossible

A recent survey found that Australia’s power companies are less trusted than media companies, banks and telcos. Customers hate electricity bills – not least because they are so complicated. But we can learn much by analysing them closely.

Energy bills are becoming to complex to understand. 

One feature that deserves close scrutiny is the all-pervasive discount. In electricity retailing, all but 3 of the 28 active retailers use discounts in their retail offers.

In any kind of retailing, discounts give customers the impression that they are making a smart buy. This is often true, particularly in cases where it is easy to see and compare the discounted prices. But if it’s not easy to compare, customers may not realise if they’ve been duped.

Read the story from The Conversation by the Director of the Victoria Energy Policy Centre from Victoria University, Bruce Mountain - “If you need a PhD to read your power bill, buying wisely is all but impossible.”