Blog - News & Industry Insights | ERM Power

What’s your business energy going to cost you these holidays?

What’s your business energy going to cost you these holidays?

Your buildings could be costing you money this holiday season, according to data and analysis of commercial energy use from ERM Power.
Megan Houghton, ERM Power’s Executive General Manager Energy Solutions, says their analysis may surprise many executives, but close to one in 10 commercial premises in Australia are running energy intensive building systems despite being unoccupied on public holidays.
“Applying these findings to the National Electricity Market, we estimate Australian businesses potentially waste about two million kilowatt hours of power…

November 21, 2019 Blog

tesy Australia condamine

Teys Australia Case Study

Teys is an innovative Australian food business with a strong national supply network and global reach, and more than 70 years’ experience in the beef industry value chain.
One of Teys Australia’s key feedlots in Condamine, on the Western Darling Downs of Queensland, houses 30,000 cattle. The property’s feedlot includes a high-power feed distribution system which was employing a large amount of electricity each day to efficiently mill grain to feed the cattle.
As part of Teys Australia’s commitment to industry…

November 14, 2019 Blog, Insights Case Studies, Energy Assessments, Industry - Manufacturing, Solar

Quarterly Wholesale Market Update: July – September 2019

ERM Power is excited to share our new Quarterly Wholesale Market Update for July – September 2019.
Our Market Update provides a quarterly summary of wholesale market activity to help you keep up to date with what is happening in the industry.
July – September 2019 Wholesale Market Update
This quarter, Executive General Manager Trading, David Guiver gives an update on the renewable energy target, talks about AEMO’s Electricity Statement of Opportunities and discusses how tight the Victorian market is starting to…

October 14, 2019 Blog Wholesale Market Updates

Gippsland Water Case Study

Gippsland Water Case Study

Gippsland Water was looking to improve control over its energy expenditure in light of predicted rising future costs and an obligation to meet an emissions reduction commitment to the Victorian State Government. The water sector is responsible for 24% of the Government’s annual emissions, making it the largest single sector contributor to its emissions.
On 14th March 2018, the Hon. Lisa Neville, State Minister for Water, issued a “Statement of Obligations (Emission Reduction)” to several Victorian water authorities, requiring them…

October 8, 2019 Blog, Insights Case Studies, Energy Assessments, Industry - Manufacturing, Solar

Residential Investment

ERM Power invests in residential energy retailers

Many of our customers may not be aware that ERM Power has investments in two residential energy retailers. Leveraging our strengths and experience in the business sector, these companies stand to benefit from our many years of energy expertise.
Why residential?
Having canvassed a range of options aimed at diversifying our investments and strengthening our market share and capabilities, a few years ago ERM Power invested in two businesses that serve residential customers: Energy Locals and 1st Energy.
EGM Energy Retail Steve…

September 24, 2019 Blog Residential

Network Tariff Optimisation

Network Tariff Optimisation

ERM Power’s Network Tariff Optimisation (NTO) program has been designed specifically to save our customers money, with the next round of reviews having just happened.
The last NTO review in March 2019 identified $3.5 million[1] in potential annual savings for our large customers that could be realised simply by switching to a different network tariff. Of that figure, customers who implemented our recommended tariff change expect to realise approximately $2.1 million in annual savings (in aggregate). This leaves $1.4 million…

September 24, 2019 Blog Energy Supply, Network Tariff

Five-minute settlement rule changes

Five-Minute Settlement rule takes effect in the National Electricity Market from 1 July 2021

Since this article has been published there has been an update to the timing around the launch of the Five-Minute Settlement rule. Click here to read the update.
A substantial change is set to take place to the cost structures of generator dispatch and retailer consumption, with the launch of the Five-Minute Settlement rule in 2021.
The Five-Minute Settlement rule seeks to resolve pricing anomalies that have existed since the start of the National Electricity Market (NEM). Currently generators bid and…

September 24, 2019 Blog, News Energy Supply

Basslink cables

Outage for Basslink Cable

Note: Since publishing this article, the Basslink cable returned to service on 29 September 2019. To read more, click here.
Investigators say the latest failure in the 500-megawatt Basslink cable will render it out of action until at least mid-October.
Connecting Tasmania and Victoria, Basslink is the world’s longest submarine power cable and the outage means Tasmania is currently unable to transfer energy to and from the mainland. The cable has experienced outages in the past but unlike the 2016 undersea…

September 24, 2019 Blog, News Energy Supply

LIsarow High School

Lisarow High School – NSW Schools Energy Productivity Program

The NSW Schools Energy Productivity Program (SEPP) is an initiative developed by the NSW public school sector.
The program was designed to:

demonstrate the benefits of energy productivity improvements and renewables
accelerate the adoption of renewable energy for NSW public schools
provide an engagement and implementation strategy for the NSW public schools sector to implement renewable energy and energy productivity over a 5-to-10-year period.

ERM Power was engaged by Schools Infrastructure NSW (SINSW) in the $1M pilot program which was co-funded by the ARENA…

September 9, 2019 Blog, Insights Case Studies, Energy Assessments, Industry - Education

The GPT Group Energy Masterplan – A pathway to net zero carbon emissions

In 2018, The GPT Group engaged ERM Power to help them develop a strategy for achieving net zero carbon emissions for the GPT Wholesale Office Fund by 2020.
“GPT aims to be a zero-carbon company by 2030 but our wholesale office fund will have its building’s being zero carbon by 2020,” says Steve Ford, Head of Sustainability at GPT. “It is a very bold target, but it is one that we know we can do.”
Nick Jones, Head of Strategic Clients…

September 6, 2019 Blog Case Studies, Energy Demand, Renewables, Solar

ERM Power’s commitment to diversity recognised

ERM Power is proud to have been named a finalist in the Employer of Choice Corporate Award category at this year’s annual Women in Technology Awards.
The awards will be presented at a Gala dinner on 30 August in Brisbane.
Women in Technology is one of Queensland’s most respected and active technology industry associations. The wide range of awards recognise women at varying stages of their career, and companies who are making exceptional advances in diversity and supporting women.
ERM Power Executive…

August 16, 2019 Blog ERM Careers, Working at ERM

Image to of city street for Unaccounted For Energy article

Who pays for Unaccounted For Energy? AEMC introduces a quiet and costly change

Unaccounted For Energy (UFE)
Not all energy consumed is currently accounted for by electricity meters. The difference between the amount of energy being drawn into a distribution zone and how much is picked up on the meters as being used by end customers after technical loss factors are applied is known as unaccounted for energy (UFE) and its causes are numerous. Inaccurate metering, unmetered loads, electricity theft and errors in estimations for loads (such as street lights) mean cost distribution…

July 23, 2019 Blog

Photo of a customer participating in Demand Response

Regulatory Changes Incentivise Customers to Participate in Demand Response

With new guidelines progressively emerging under the Retailer Reliability Obligation (RRO) framework, the potential benefits to customers of participating in demand response activities are becoming clear.
Retailer Reliability Obligation (RRO)
Following the introduction of the RRO on 1 July, retailers and other large energy users are now required to actively participate in efforts to facilitate reliability of power supply to the National Electricity Market (NEM). The RRO was introduced in response to concerns of supply shortfalls over the coming decade. It also…

July 22, 2019 Blog Demand Response

Quarterly Wholesale Market Update: April – June 2019

ERM Power is excited to share our new Quarterly Wholesale Market Update for April – June 2019.
Our Market Update provides a quarterly summary of wholesale market activity to help you keep up to date with what is happening in the industry.
April – June 2019 Wholesale Market Update
This quarter, Executive General Manager Trading, David Guiver talks about the renewable energy target, looks at the solar and wind generation coming into the market and discusses the electricity market components and the…

July 10, 2019 Blog Wholesale Market Updates

Smart Advice to Secure the Best Energy Deal for Big Business

Smart Advice to Secure the Best Energy Deal for Big Business

Are you a large business considering switching business energy providers or hunting for the best energy deal? A word to the wise: lock in the best possible terms by thinking green and assuming nothing.
Having dealt with soaring energy costs, big businesses are becoming more savvy when it comes to energy. They know they can save significantly if they negotiate energy prices with retailers. But what many don’t realise is that’s not the only way you can control what you…

June 13, 2019 Blog Energy Supply