オーストラリアの住宅用電力市場：電力契約の変更・解約動向

Abstract

Overview

Introduction

While South Australia and Victoria lead the way in customer switching, conditions vary across the States and the recent hike in wholesale prices is holding back retailers, especially new entrants, in competing effectively. This brief examines switching trends across the country' s competitive States, customers' drivers for switching, the most effective and preferred channels and future prospects.

Scope

• Survey of 2000 households in Australia conducted in May 2007 regarding their switching behaviours and preferences, with comparisons with a 2005 survey
• Breakdown of responses by State, age group, spend and switching status
• Specific analysis of intentions of households in Queensland

Report Highlights

While price and specific financial incentives, such as loyalty or sign-on bonuses, are the most influential in attracting customers, dual fuel is a key factor in customers' decisions when choosing a new supplier. Of all respondents with both electricity and mains gas that had switched, 73% were supplied both gas and electricity by the same utility.

Door-to-door sales are by far the most effective, initiating the most recent switch for 58% of switchers. The telephone is only really effective for existing customers, and using telemarketers for new customer acquisition is more challenging after the establishment of the Do Not Call Registry, which attracted a million users in its first month.

In Queensland, those in metropolitan areas and with larger bills were by far the more likely to seek out a new supplier in order to switch in the first six months of competition. However, with high wholesale prices, the number of competitors to AGL and Origin Energy is likely to be limited purely to those with a strong hedge position.

Reasons to Purchase

• Identify key sources of information for consumers when switching and the effectiveness of various offers in encouraging customers to switch
• Understand the reasons behind customers not switching, how these have changed over time, and how to overcome them
• Evaluate the potential for further switching by State, including anticipated customer switching in the newly-opened Queensland market.

Table of Contents

• DATAMONITOR VIEW
  • CATALYST
  • SUMMARY
• ANALYSIS
  • Australian States continue to exhibit amongst the world' s highest levels of customer switching and churn
    • South Australia and Victoria lead the way in customer switching in Australia
    • Globally South Australia and Victoria have comparable switching rates to highly competitive markets such as the UK
    • Switching and churn rates have been shaped by markedly different market conditions across the competitive States
      • Rising regulated retail prices
      • Dual fuel offerings
      • Aggressive new entrants
    • Wholesale prices are expected to have a major influence on near-term acquisition strategies
  • Driving customer switching - results from an Australian household customer survey
    • Customers want lower prices and other financial incentives, but convenience of dual fuel also key
    • Retailer representatives are core to facilitating switching
    • But with one quarter of switchers considering switching again, having won the customer the focus needs to turn to retention
    • Convincing non-switchers increasingly means reducing the inconvenience of switching supplier
    • Green energy and customer service levels more influential for non-switchers, but price still key
    • In targeting customers in the future, telemarketing is, and will remain, unpopular
  • Expectations for retail competition in Queensland
    • Full retail competition in Queensland commencing on 1 July
    • Consumers keen to seek out a cheaper deal
    • But high wholesale prices will hinder new entrants' discounting
• ACTIONS
  • Driving customer acquisition
    • Dual fuel offers are the most attractive non-financial inducement to switch
    • Door-to-door by far the most effective method and forecast to continue to be so
    • Inconvenience as a key factor behind non-switching
    • Green energy at no extra cost a key factor for non-switchers
  • Penetrating the newly opened Queensland market
    • South-east Queensland expected to see most intense competition, but stifled by wholesale prices
• APPENDIX
  • Definitions
  • Methodology
  • Further reading
  • Sources and relevant links
  • Ask the analyst
  • Datamonitor consulting
  • Disclaimer
  • List of Tables
    • Table 1: On a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being irrelevant and 5 being critical, how important/influential were the following in your decision to switch electricity supplier
    • Table 2: Average rating of importance/influence of incentives to switch electricity supplier - by State
    • Table 3: For the most recent switch, which of the following were sources of information (tick all that apply)
    • Table 4: What channel initiated your most recent switch to the new supplier (please choose one)
    • Table 5: When would you consider switching again?
    • Table 6: If you did not switch, what were the main reasons (tick all that apply) - State
    • Table 7: How important/influential would the following be in your decision to switch supplier in the future? Please rate 1 - 5 where 1 = irrelevant and 5 = critical
    • Table 8: Through which of the following channels would you be willing to be contacted by retailers with regards to future offers (Tick all that apply)
    • Table 9: Through which of the following channels would you be willing to be contacted by retailers with regards to future offers (Tick all that apply) - by State
    • Table 10: Through which of the following channels would you be willing to be contacted by retailers with regards to future offers (Tick all that apply) - by State
    • Table 11: Full retail contestability will be coming to Queensland in July 2007. Which of the following statements best fits your intentions
    • Table 12: Survey sample by State
  • List of Figures
    • Figure 1: Switching rates in the Victorian, NSW and South Australian power markets - small consumers, 2003-2007
    • Figure 2: On a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being irrelevant and 5 being critical, how important/influential were the following in your decision to switch electricity supplier
    • Figure 3: Average rating of importance/influence of incentives to switch electricity supplier - by State
    • Figure 4: Channels used to initiate switching by State (VIC, NSW and SA)
    • Figure 5: If you did not switch, what were the main reasons (tick all that apply)
    • Figure 6: What is the likelihood that you would switch for a 10% saving?