Get Street Smart: Unlocking Affordable EV Charging for All Australians
Electric vehicles (EVs) can save households thousands of dollars, while also improving the efficiency of the grid and reducing overall emissions for everyone.
However, many Australians are being left behind because public charging infrastructure remains limited. This gap unfairly affects people who can’t charge at home, such as those living in apartments.
In short, we’re facing a “chicken-and-egg” problem that needs urgent attention.
Bridging the Charging Gap: Powering a Fair and Affordable Future for All Australians
To help tackle this, Energy Networks Australia has recently submitted a rule change proposal to the Australian Energy Market Commission to improve EV charging access for all customers.
The proposed rule unlocks faster, more affordable access to kerbside EV charging for customers by allowing distributors to install, own and maintain kerbside EV charging infrastructure on existing network assets as a regulated distribution service.
The proposed model maintains clear roles in the market and mirrors the way energy is delivered to homes today. Distributors would not sell electricity or charging services. Instead, they would enable the infrastructure and provide open access to charging providers, giving customers more choice and drive better pricing.
Read an overview of Energy Networks Australia’s rule change proposal: Get Street Smart: Unlocking Affordable EV Charging for All Australians
Read Energy Networks Australia’s rule change proposal: Unlocking Affordable EV Charging for All Australians
Built on Strong Evidence
The rule change proposal is the product of consultation and development work undertaken by Energy Networks Australia in partnership with its members and other stakeholders focused on ways to use the local distribution grid to deliver benefits to customers and help achieve Australia’s decarbonisation targets.
To read more, see Energy Networks Australia’s prior publications:
- Energy Networks Australia’s 2024 The Time is Now Report: The Time is Now: Getting smarter with the grid
- Energy Networks Australia’s 2025 Street Smart Report: Street Smart: Scaling Up Kerbside EV Charging in Australia
- Energy Networks Australia’s 2025: Powering our Future Report: Powering our Future: Six Commonwealth Energy Commitments for a Stronger Australia
