Australian National Energy Equity Framework: Better Practice Guide Towards Energy Equity

This better practice guide collates the latest research from the Group of Energy Efficiency Researchers (GEER) Australia on energy hardship. It has been written for government executives, program and evaluation leads, and policy analysts who are working in areas where energy, social and health policies intersect. We have developed the guide to help address gaps and strengthen existing programs to prevent households in, or vulnerable to, energy hardship from being left behind by Australia’s energy transition.
An overarching challenge is that the concept of “energy hardship” has historically been poorly defined and remains poorly understood. Discussion of energy hardship policy in Australia can sometimes conflate mandatory retailer “energy hardship” debt management programs under National Energy Retail Rules (NERR) with the broader issue of energy hardship. Other programs often conflate administratively expedient concession cards with those in need of policy support. Both approaches inadvertently exclude many households in and vulnerable to hardship. Concession cards also inadvertently spread limited funding over many households who are unlikely to be in or vulnerable to hardship.