The proposal outlines Jemena’s service delivery and prices for its electricity network – which services more than 380,000 customers across north-west Melbourne – for the financial years covering 2026–31, and the role it will play in Australia’s energy transition.
Jemena Executive General Manager of Networks, Shaun Reardon, said – if endorsed by the AER – a typical residential customer’s annual bill will be $156 lower by the end of the next period compared to an annual bill in 2025–26.
“This price reduction is enabled by an increase in electricity consumption across our network, driven by data centres and major connections, and increased utilisation by existing customers as they increasingly use electricity to heat their homes and cook their meals.
“To develop this proposal, we engaged with thousands of customers across multiple channels which included visitors to our GridTalk website, sessions facilitated in-person including our People’s Panel and virtual engagement.”
Mr Reardon said the utility held 80 engagement events and spent nearly 300 hours with customers over the past two years.
“This proposal reflects the needs of our customers and communities today, while also preparing our electricity network for a more sustainable energy future,” he said.
“Many of our customers told us that energy affordability and cost-of-living continue to be their top priority. Our customers also said that maintaining the reliability of the electricity network and increasing resilience to withstand and recover from extreme weather events were important priorities.
“Throughout our engagement process we sought feedback from a diverse range of residential, large commercial, industrial, small, and medium-sized business customers.”
The 2026–31 Proposal outlines the following actions shaped by Jemena customers:
Affordability:
A typical residential customer’s average annual bill will be $156 lower by the end of the next period compared to an annual bill in 2025–26
Preparing for the future:
Connect over 33,300 new residential customers and 2585 businesses in north-west Melbourne
Introduce new tariff structures that encourage better network utilisation and improve price equity between solar and non-solar customers
Introduce new digital technologies to improve electricity system management and enable new sustainable products and services
Deliver a broad-based zone-substation redevelopment program to maintain current reliability levels
Build large-scale assets to serve new large customers such as data centres and hospitals
Keeping customers informed:
Upgrade systems to keep customers better informed with near real-time information at times they need it the most
Develop a new portal to provide tailored information based on customer preferences and language needs with energy information
The AER will review and assess Jemena’s 2026-31 Proposal and provide a draft decision later in 2025. Jemena will then submit a revised proposal with the AER’s final decision taking effect from 1 July 2026.
