The Energy Consumer Sentiment and Behaviour Surveys are conducted by Essential Research for Energy Consumers Australia, to support Energy Consumers Australia’s goal of regularly engaging with energy users across Australia. From 2016 to 2020, the Energy Consumer Sentiment Survey was conducted twice a year and included explored consumer behaviour, perceptions, and attitudes to a range of energy-related issues including satisfaction, usage and relationship with suppliers and retailers. Starting in 2021, the behaviour questions have been shifted to a separate annual survey (now known as the Energy Consumer Behaviour Survey), with the Energy Consumer Sentiment Survey continuing twice a year with questions on perceptions and attitudes.
Both surveys follow the same methodology. The target population for both surveys is household consumers aged over 18 who are involved in decisions about electricity and gas issues in their household, and small business consumers (with less than 200 employees) who are involved in decisions about electricity and gas issues in their household.
The surveys are conducted online, with participants being invited to participate and completing the questions in their own time without an interviewer present. The sample is stratified by state, territory and participant type (household or small business). Stratification by state is to provide sample sizes for all states and the ACT that are sufficient for robust analysis, although this has the effect of reducing the effective sample size for the weighted overall nationwide results (because results from smaller jurisdictions, which have been boosted to ensure robust sample sizes for separate analysis, have to be weighted down in the nationwide results to ensure the nationwide results are representative of the total Australian population).
Quotas are placed on the household sample by age and gender. RIM weighting is applied to the final data using information sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The final data is weighted based on ABS data by state, territory, and participant type. Information of the weighting efficiency, sample size and margin of error for each wave of the survey is listed below. Margin of Error (MoE) is calculated to a 95% confidence level.
Results with a base size of less than n=100 are shown with a caution that results will have a high MOE and therefore may be subject to high variability. Results with a base size of less than n=30 have been suppressed.
The survey fieldwork was conducted by Dynata using participants from online research panels. All other tasks were completed by Essential Research.
All Essential Research staff hold Research Society membership and are bound by professional codes of behaviour. This research is compliant with the Australian Polling Council Quality Mark standards.
Energy Consumers Sentiment Survey
The questionnaire content for the latest sentiment survey can be found here.
| Publication Date | Fieldwork Start Date | Fieldwork End Date |
| Sentiment Survey December 2023 | 11th October 2023 | 30th October 2023 |
| Type | Sample Size | Weighting efficiency | Effective Sample Size | Margin of Error |
| Household | 2,124 | 77% | 1,625 | ±2.4% |
| Small business | 500 | 87% | 433 | ±4.7% |
| State/Territory | Household Sample Size | Margin of Error | Households with electricity only | Households with electricity & gas |
| NSW | 400 | ±4.9% | 227 | 173 |
| Victoria | 402 | ±4.9% | 78 | 324 |
| Queensland | 301 | ±5.6% | 266 | 35 |
| (SE Queensland) | 199 | ±6.9% | 170 | 29 |
| South Australia | 300 | ±5.7% | 122 | 178 |
| Western Australia | 300 | ±5.7% | 82 | 218 |
| ACT | 201 | ±6.9% | 52 | 149 |
| Tasmania | 200 | ±6.9% | 186 | 14 |
| Northern Territory | 20 | n/a | 16 | 4 |
Definitions for the groups used in the Interactive tool are defined below:
| Household Lifestage | Description |
| Young Household | Aged under 44, max, no dependent children. Not retired |
| Family Household | Have dependent children under 18 in Household. Not retired |
| Older Household | Aged over 44. Have no dependent children under 18 in Household. Not retired |
| Retired Household | Retirees |
| Financial Pressure | Description |
| Financially comfortable | Participants self-select definition in Question D16 |
| Manage household bills but struggle to afford anything extra | Participants self-select definition in Question D16 |
| Under financial pressure | Participants self-select definition in Question D16 |
Energy Consumers Behaviour Survey
The questionnaire content for the latest sentiment survey can be found here
| Publication Date | Fieldwork Start Date | Fieldwork End Date |
| Behaviour Survey 2023 | 20th July 2023 | 16th August 2023 |
| Type | Sample Size | Weighting efficiency | Effective Sample Size | Margin of Error |
| Household | 2,200 | 77% | 1,685 | ±2.4% |
| Small business | 521 | 90% | 466 | ±4.5% |
| State/Territory | Household Sample Size | Margin of Error | Households with electricity only | Households with electricity & gas |
| NSW | 408 | ±4.9% | 218 | 190 |
| Victoria | 404 | ±4.9% | 79 | 325 |
| Queensland | 335 | ±5.4% | 294 | 41 |
| (SE Queensland) | 216 | ±6.7% | 184 | 32 |
| South Australia | 316 | ±5.5% | 130 | 186 |
| Western Australia | 311 | ±5.6% | 92 | 219 |
| ACT | 202 | ±6.9% | 67 | 135 |
| Tasmania | 202 | ±6.9% | 181 | 21 |
| Northern Territory | 22 | n/a | 19 | 3 |
Definitions for the groups used in the analysis are defined below:
| Household Lifestage | Description |
| Young Household | Aged under 44, max, no dependent children. Not retired |
| Family Household | Have dependent children under 18 in Household. Not retired |
| Older Household | Aged over 44. Have no dependent children under 18 in Household. Not retired |
| Retired Household | Retirees |
| Financial Pressure | Description |
| Financially comfortable | Participants self-select definition in Question D16 |
| Manage household bills but struggle to afford anything extra | Participants self-select definition in Question D16 |
| Under financial pressure | Participants self-select definition in Question D16 |