Monitoring the market

The electricity industry is large and complex, but we have the skills, tools and data to effectively monitor the markets and the activity of industry participants.

On this page —

How we monitor the market

We collect and work with a large amount of electricity data that we use to create performance metrics and analytical tools to help monitor the electricity markets. We track and monitor all aspects of the sector. For example, we:

  • provide weekly trading conduct reports and quarterly market performance reviews
  • conduct in-depth reviews and studies of particular topics
  • track and report on final prices, retail market share and consumer switching on the Electricity Market Information website
  • maintain databases and make analytical tools available (such as vSPD and JADE) to improve industry participants’ own monitoring capacity
  • assess offers and prices to check participants' compliance with the trading conduct rule - see our approach to monitoring trading conduct.

Why we monitor the market

It's our statutory objective to promote competition, ensure there’s a reliable supply of electricity and the electricity industry is operated effectively for the long-term benefit of consumers. It's also our function to "undertake industry and market monitoring, and carry out and make publicly available reviews, studies, and inquiries into any matter relating to the electricity industry" (Section 16(g) of the Electricity Industry Act 2010). The monitoring we do:

  • ascertains whether the observed market performance is consistent with a well-functioning and disciplined market and is to the long-term benefit of consumers 
  • reviews initiatives we’ve undertaken to see if they’re working as planned
  • investigates whether long-term opportunities and incentives for efficient entry, exit and investment and innovation in the market are occurring
  • checks whether industry participants are efficiently developing and operating the electricity system to manage both the security and reliability of our electricity supply
  • checks whether industry participants are complying with the Code. See our compliance monitoring framework.
  • informs Code amendments - industry participant's responsibilities and our own duties and responsibilities.

See our approach to monitoring compliance with the wholesale trading conduct provisions of the Code.