Infographic text alternative: Queensland retail energy market 2015-16

Performance indicators

Five retailers marketing to residential electricity customers (in South East Queensland), with the biggest three – AGL, Origin Energy and EnergyAustralia – supplying 88 per cent of residential South East Queensland customers. Origin Energy and AGL supply 97 per cent of the gas market.
Electricity and gas switching activity generally remained flat over the year.

49 per cent of electricity customers are on market retail contracts
In South East Queensland, 74 per cent of electricity customers are on market retail contracts.
68 per cent of gas customers are on market retail contracts

2.5 per cent of non-hardship electricity customers are repaying a debt
The average non-hardship electricity debt per customer is $502. This is the lowest average nationally.
3.3 per cent of non-hardship gas customers are repaying a debt
$323 is the average gas debt.

0.97 per cent of electricity customers are repaying debt under a retailer’s hardship program
$729 is the average electricity debt upon entry to hardship programs. This is the lowest nationally.
$1001 is the average electricity debt among customers participating in hardship programs. This is the lowest average nationally.
0.59 per cent of gas customers are repaying debt on a hardship
$566 is the average gas debt upon entry to a retailer’s hardship program. This is the lowest average nationally.
$341 is the average gas debt among customers participating in hardship programs. This is the lowest average nationally.

The number of residential electricity customers who were disconnected for non-payment was 21,672. This represents 1.14 per cent of total electricity customers.
The number of gas customers who were disconnected was 1,410. This represents 0.79 per cent of total gas customers.

Energy bills for a low income household (consuming 4,100kWh and 10,000MJ)

The annual electricity bill on the median market offer with a concession is $1071, (up 0.5 per cent) from 2014-15. Without a concession, the same bill would be $1401 (up 1 per cent)
The annual electricity bill on a median standing offer was $1140 with a concession (down 1.6 per cent), or $1470 without (down 0.6 per cent).
For electricity, the median market offer is about 4.7 per cent cheaper than the standing offer.

The annual gas bill on the median market offer was $733 (up 3.4 per cent). With a concession, the annual bill on a market offer is $664.
The annual gas bill on the median standing offer is $756 (up 2.9 per cent) without a concession. With a concession, the annual bill on a standing offer is $686.
For gas, the median market offer is about 3 per cent cheaper than the standing offer.

A low income household on the median market offer and receiving an energy concession would spend:

4.3 per cent of its disposable income on electricity (or 5.6 per cent without a concession) and
2.6 per cent of its disposable income on gas (or 2.9 per cent without a concession)

The benefits of comparing offers on Energy Made Easy and switching (from median standing offer to lowest market offer at 30 June 2016)

120 residential EME electricity offers.
18 residential EME gas offers.
A resident of the Brisbane area switching from the median standing offer to the lowest market offer could save up to $185 (electricity) and $39 (gas).
A resident of the Toowoomba area switching from the median standing offer to the lowest market offer could save up to $45 (gas).