Hello,
It’s Chris here with your summer market update, and an important note on customer service.
I’ll start with a quick look at what’s likely to happen with energy prices over the next few months, then spend most of this update on something we know really matters: how we’re improving our customer service.
Summer energy prices: what to expect
As we move through January, February and March, the energy market is entering one of its most dynamic periods of the year. Here’s what’s shaping the summer ahead:
Plenty of solar in the middle of the day
Australia continues to add rooftop solar at a world-leading pace, alongside new grid-scale solar coming online. Over summer, this means the middle of the day (roughly 10am-3pm) is expected to see frequent periods of very low wholesale prices - and at times, prices may still drop to zero or below - so make sure you’ve enabled automatic solar curtailment to avoid negative feed-in rates.
Higher risk of evening price spikes on hot days
Hot weather pushes up demand just as solar generation falls away in the evening. This pattern is expected to continue, which means price volatility is still likely during late afternoon and evening peaks, particularly during heatwaves.
No major supply shortfalls expected
While summer always carries weather risk, AEMO’s forward planning shows the system is generally well-positioned. Importantly for battery owners, price volatility during hot evenings is still expected, and batteries continue to play a critical role in responding to these moments. When the grid is under pressure, batteries are increasingly relied on and rewarded for helping manage peaks and smooth volatility.
.What this means for you
- If you have a battery: Summer remains a strong period for value. Charging during cheap, solar-heavy hours and discharging during evening peaks is where most earnings opportunities sit. SmartShift is designed to do this for you automatically.
- If you have an EV: Daytime charging is often the cheapest way to power your EV over summer. Shifting charging into the middle of the day, when wholesale prices are lowest, can make a meaningful difference to your bill.
- If you also have solar: Daytime prices are often very low in summer, and sometimes negative. Use more of your solar during the day where you can, and make sure automatic solar curtailment is enabled to avoid negative feed-in rates.
- For everyone: Summer bills are typically lower than winter, especially if you can avoid heavy usage during hot evenings when prices spike.
A candid update on customer service
I want to be clear: improving customer service is our number one priority across the business, and it will remain our focus until service levels are back where they should be.
What happened
Over the past year, demand for home batteries has grown far faster than anyone expected following the federal home battery rebate, driving a surge in Amber sign-ups. At the same time, we were completing a major billing system migration needed to support this growth. Together, these factors put significant pressure on our systems and support teams, leading to longer response times than acceptable. We know this has been frustrating.
What we’ve done already
Improving customer service has been the number one priority across our business for months. Here’s what’s already in place:
- Significantly expanded our customer operations team. We’ve more than doubled the team in a short period and are continuing to hire aggressively to clear backlogs.
- Improving our product. We're working on clearer in-app information, better error messaging, and improved explanations of why SmartShift takes certain actions, so you have more visibility and confidence in what's happening with your energy.
- Stabilised billing. Most delayed bills have now been issued, and billing accuracy is significantly better than six months ago. Some complex cases still take longer, particularly where network or meter data is involved, but the overall trend is improving.
What to expect over the next few months
Over the next 3-6 months, you should see:
- More transparency to keep you informed on our progress as we hire and improve the product
- Faster response times as hiring continues and new systems bed in
- Clearer in-app information about what’s happening with your energy
- Continued improvement in billing stability, with fewer issues and quicker fixes when something does go wrong
How to get help now
- The in-app help and Help Centre are the fastest way to resolve common questions about billing, meter reads, and battery setup
- We’re also continuing to expand our self-service tools so more issues can be solved instantly
Amber was built on trust - giving customers more control, more transparency, and more of the value from the energy system. When our service doesn’t live up to that promise, it matters.
Thank you for sticking with us while we fix this. I’m confident you’ll see meaningful improvements very soon.
Cheers,
Chris
Co-CEO at Amber
