In a powerful recent article by journalist Sue Williams (SMH), Sydney apartment owners discovered they were being billed thousands of dollars for electricity — including power generated by solar panels on their own roof.
The issue? A confidential Embedded Network Agreement signed before the first Owners Corporation meeting locked them into a decade-long deal with high rates and no say.
"They’re using our roof, but there’s no benefit to us whatsoever.” – Adam Denyer, Dwell apartment owner
This Isn’t an Isolated Case. It’s a Pattern.
At Embedded Network Arena, we see this far too often. Many embedded network contracts have unfair terms that significantly tilt power toward developers or third-party providers — leaving owners trapped, frustrated and paying inflated prices.
Under the updated Australian Consumer Law on Unfair Contract Terms, your committee may have the right to challenge these agreements — or walk away altogether.
✅ Embedded Network Arena’s Advice: Committees should urgently seek legal and regulatory advice to assess if their embedded network agreement is enforceable under these new laws.
If not, this opens a valuable window to:
Exit the unfair deal
Go to market for a fairer provider
Secure better outcomes for all owners and residents
Audit and decode complex Embedded Network Agreements
Identify unfair clauses and exit strategies
Support negotiation of competitive, resident-first utility agreements
INDEPENDENCE GUARANTEED
The Embedded Network Arena are an independent consultancy firm, and we operate for the benefit of our clients. Our parent company, ARENA Energy Consulting, is a signatory to the Energy Charter’s National Customer Code and we were appointed as a founding Council Member in December 2020. Additionally, we are proud to support the Strata Community Association and the Owners Corporation Network of Australia.
We operate under a ‘fee-for-service’ advice model, which means that we do not receive brokerage commissions from suppliers. This ensures our independence is guaranteed.
