Having a say: IPART consultations to improve energy market practices and experiences
01/09/2026
The NSW Government’s review into embedded networks generated a raft of amendments to energy legislation and there are continued reforms aimed at modernising embedded network service standards.
In previous Outasite Lite articles, we reported on the revised pricing methodology that many residents in land lease communities with embedded networks are expecting to make their electricity bills more affordable:
The NSW government supported the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal’s (IPART) recommendation to revise its pricing methodology so it would be based on the median of the lowest market offers generally available rather than the interim methodology used for land lease community residents, based on median market offers.
IPART originally expected that the new methodology would result in lower prices for land lease community residents by an average of 9-12% but this change is not going to be ready for some time as IPART wraps up their most recent consultation for embedded networks which focused on new billing standards and maximum pricing for embedded network customers.
Subject to feedback they receive from the consultation, their proposed timeline for the new billing standards and price methodology are not expected to come into effect until September 2027.
The Tenants’ Union of NSW recently responded to the IPART consultation paper because we continually hear from residents and Tenants Advice and Advocacy Services across NSW about the limitations that come with being an embedded network customer and the cost of energy despite the vast difference in consumer experience when compared with on market customers or even other embedded network customers.
In land lease communities with an embedded network for electricity, the 12 monthly review of pricing is ordinarily expected to align with the anniversary of amendments to the Residential (Land Lease) Communities Act 2013, and Residential (Land Lease) Communities Regulation 2015 (RLLC Regs) from 25th September 2024.
However, on the 1st July 2026, clause 10A of the RLLC Regs (which made it a 12 month requirement for IPART to make a new price determination and for Fair Trading NSW to publish them), was removed and replaced by similar energy laws under the Electricity Supply Amendment (Miscellaneous) Regulation 2026. IPART now has discretion to determine its pricing at least every 12 months if not sooner and must also publish them.
We contacted IPART and they have confirmed that for 2026 the 12 monthly price review for land lease communities with an embedded network will still be scheduled to commence from 25th September 2026. We expect they will use their existing price methodology since the new method has not yet been finalised.
More info
Our factsheet Electricity charges in land lease communities has more information for embedded network customers. We updated it in early July 2026 to acknowledge the new energy legislation that has commenced.
This article was originally published in Outasite Lite 53.