In the middle of last year, when Australia's wholesale power market went into meltdown and prices soared, Mark Purcell had something of an epiphany."It was an ideal time to have a battery because I could reserve some of my battery for my household use … and then I could export the other half of my battery for these really high prices," Mr Purcell said.Mr Purcell, who works as a national security consultant, lives on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
Effectively, the decision transformed him into an energy trader, a player exposed to the whims of a market that can gyrate wildly in half-hourly increments every day. In return, customers get access to the wholesale market along with Amber's software, which helps automate devices to ensure they use – or discharge – power when prices are favourable.
"We believe the fair thing to do is actually just to give customers access to those wholesale prices," Mr Adams said. He said bigger energy retailers, for all their shortcomings, effectively shielded households from the worst extremes of spot pricing."If you've got storage, a battery for example, and solar, it could be a good option for you.