Under r. 116 of the Retail Rules, a retailer cannot disconnect a customer for non payment where the amount owing is less than an amount approved by the AER and the customer has agreed to repay that amount.
The AER has approved an amount of $300 (GST inclusive) for the purposes of r. 116. This will apply to both gas and electricity and to all jurisdictions adopting the Retail Law and Rules. The AER will review this amount again, once it has been in effect for 18-24 months.
The AER consulted on what amount should be approved as the minimum amount owing on a customer’s bill before disconnection for non payment. Relevant documents and submissions received are set out below.
Minimum Disconnection Amount - March 2017
On 23 May 2016, a new review of the Minimum Disconnection Amount was initiated. The final decision from this review was released 30 March 2017 and replaces the previous July 2012 decision.