A new survey by Energy Consumers Australia reveals that 62 per cent of small-business owners see the increasing energy costs as a big concern. However, 69 per cent stated that they did not recall seeing anything in the media or online in the last 12 months about how to reduce their energy costs or usage, while those who did see such information found it irrelevant to their circumstances and not coming from sources that they trust.
Energy Consumers Australia CEO Brendan French said the research highlighted the need of small-business owners for tailored information on how they can reduce their energy use and there is a sense of frustration that the information they are receiving currently is not fit for purpose.
“This research shows that many SME consumers do not have the basic information they need to manage their energy use, and the absence of clear, trusted and practical advice is leaving them lacking the confidence to act and lacking trust in the energy market,” French said.
“It is time to stop assuming that one size fits all when it comes to communicating with them about energy – or that small businesses just need the same communications as households,” he added. “Small businesses want to see case studies of other businesses like them to learn how they can benefit from the energy transition.”
The research also noted that there are a number of ‘low-hanging fruit’ that could help small-business customers reduce their power bills. For instance, only five per cent of those surveyed had conducted an energy audit of their business premises but 60 per cent would be interested in this. 60 per cent also expressed that government financial incentives would encourage them to reduce their energy use.
“Most of the small-business owners we surveyed (60 per cent) agreed that they need to act now to reduce the energy use of their business – they just need help to do so,” French said.
In conjunction with the release of the survey, the Energy Consumers Australia has made public the findings of a series of interviews with small-business representative organisations about where they see the barriers for small-business participation in the energy market. The resulting report, Power Over Their Power: Small Business Perspectives on Energy, backs the findings of the survey.
The report has identified four main barriers that all small businesses share when it comes to decarbonising, engaging in and benefiting from government energy policies: choice, cost, time, and access to information.
“Many small businesses are also either located in embedded networks, rent their premises or share them with others and these can be barriers to them reducing their energy use and to making the changes necessary for an all-electric energy-efficient business,” French said. “Governments need to work more closely with small-business representatives and organisations. If small businesses are not included in co-designing the economy wide transition process, they will be left behind.”
