Market Review: Completed
Overview
Final report published
On 18 June 2026, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) published a final report for The pricing review.
This final report sets a clear direction for the future; a simpler, more transparent energy market that unlocks the full potential of a consumer-led system.
It sets out a roadmap to a system where plans are easier to understand, technology works in the background, and everyday energy choices contribute to a more efficient and lower-cost system overall.
The final recommendations form a coherent package that puts consumers at the centre of the market. Together they simplify rules and prices, reduce penalties for disengagement, improve information and tools, and reform network pricing to address upstream cost drivers.
The image illustrates a vision for an energy service market, emphasizing transparency, simplicity, and reward for consumers, along with four recommendations to achieve this vision: highlighting positive behaviors, improving product comparison tools, simplifying energy plans, and offering simpler pricing.
Implementing the recommendations would be staged. Early action would focus on improving the consumer experience, making it easier to get a good deal and improving transparency. This will help more households access better value while rebuilding trust and reducing complexity.
Over time, the focus shifts to ensuring that greater choice does not lead to greater confusion, with better information, tools and offers supporting more informed decisions.
A gradual, coordinated approach will manage transition risks and protect consumers. While some reforms can be implemented early, network pricing reform would occur gradually over approximately ten years, with further design and coordination required across regulatory processes.
The pricing review is progressing alongside a number of other reviews and reform workstreams across the energy sector, some of which intersect with matters considered in this review. The Commission has developed its recommendations with these parallel reforms in mind, recognising that change across the sector must be coordinated to achieve the desired outcomes.
About the review
On 25 July 2024, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) self-initiated The pricing review - a broad, forward-looking review of how electricity pricing, products and services are evolving.
The review responds to the growing role of consumer energy resources and the need for the energy system to better reflect the diverse needs and preferences of consumers.
It examined how markets and regulatory frameworks can provide the products and services that best match consumer preferences, now and into the future.
The review’s key areas of focus were:
- market arrangements that provide for consumer choice between a range of appropriate pricing structures, products, and services that suit their needs and preferences.
- the role of distribution networks in enabling the right incentives, products, and services for consumers, and the efficient cost and pricing outcomes that result.
- the role of retailers and energy service providers in effectively packaging and pricing electricity products and services to match consumer preferences.
The Commission undertook the review in an open, collaborative, and transparent manner. We engaged widely through public consultations and submissions, public forums, project-specific stakeholder groups and bilateral meetings.
This approach ensured that stakeholder feedback directly informed the development of our recommendations.
This review is a key component of the CER roadmap to realise the benefits of CER for all energy consumers, including those without CER, and to support CER integration in the National Electricity Market.
Key milestones
- On 18 June 2026, we published the final report and held a public forum on 19 June (See ‘final’ tab for relevant material)
- On 23 April 2026, we published supporting reports on distributional analysis and consumer protections. We additionally held a public forum on the same day. (See ‘modelling’ tab in for relevant material)
- On 11 December 2025, we published a draft report. We received 2,724 submissions to this process and held a public forum on 15 December. (See ‘draft’ tab for relevant material)
- On 3 June 2025, we published a discussion paper. We held a public forum on 5 June and received 49 submissions to this process. (See ‘discussion paper’ tab for relevant material)
- On 7 November 2024, we released a consultation paper. We held a public forum on 27 November 2024 and received 49 submissions to this process. (See ‘consultation paper’ tab for relevant material)
- On 25 July 2024, we released a draft terms of reference and commenced the review. (See ‘ initiation’ tab for relevant material)