Energy Companies and the New Customer Con Game
There’s something that’s been grinding my gears lately, and it’s this whole energy company pricing game that seems designed to fleece loyal customers. I stumbled across a discussion online where someone discovered their energy provider, Globird, was advertising much cheaper rates to new customers than what they were charging existing ones. Sound familiar? It bloody well should.
This isn’t just a Globird thing - it’s become the standard playbook across the energy industry. You sign up with a provider, maybe get a decent introductory rate, then quietly they jack up your prices while offering sweeter deals to fresh customers walking through the door. It’s like watching your local pub charge you full price for a pint while offering happy hour rates to the person next to you, except this affects your household budget every month.
What really gets me is the sheer audacity of it. One person mentioned how they were quoted completely different rates via email, on the company website, and on the government’s Energy Made Easy comparison site. How is a regular person supposed to navigate that kind of inconsistency? We’re not financial analysts - we just want to keep the lights on without getting ripped off.
The responses to this discussion were telling. Multiple people confirmed they’d experienced the exact same thing with various providers. AGL, Red Energy - apparently this practice is so widespread it’s just accepted as normal business behaviour. The solution everyone suggests? Call them up and ask to be put on the cheaper rate, or threaten to leave. But here’s the thing - why should we have to become our own advocates just to get fair pricing?
This “lazy tax” approach, where companies bank on customers not checking rates or being too busy to switch, really gets under my skin. It’s predatory behaviour that particularly impacts vulnerable customers - the elderly, people working multiple jobs, anyone who doesn’t have the time or energy to constantly monitor their bills and negotiate rates. These are often the people who can least afford to be paying inflated prices.
Living in Melbourne, where we’ve seen our fair share of energy market volatility over the years, I’ve watched friends and neighbours get caught out by these tactics. My teenage daughter recently asked me why energy bills are so confusing, and honestly, I struggled to explain it without getting frustrated. The system seems deliberately opaque, designed to extract maximum profit rather than provide transparent, fair pricing.
The broader issue here is about corporate responsibility and market regulation. When companies can legally charge existing customers significantly more than new ones for identical services, something’s broken. It’s a practice that undermines trust and forces consumers into an endless cycle of switching providers just to avoid being gouged.
But there’s hope in the collective pushback I’m seeing. People are becoming more aware of these tactics and sharing information about how to fight back. The government’s Energy Made Easy website, despite its flaws, at least provides a baseline for comparison. The key is staying vigilant and not letting these companies bank on our complacency.
My advice? Set a calendar reminder to check your energy rates every six months. Take screenshots of comparison sites. Don’t be afraid to call and ask for better rates - the worst they can say is no. And if they won’t budge, vote with your wallet and switch providers. The only way this behaviour changes is if it stops being profitable.
The energy market doesn’t have to be a con game. With enough consumer awareness and pressure, we might eventually get the transparent, fair pricing we deserve. Until then, we need to stay sharp and look out for each other.