Under the National Energy Retail Law (NERL), any person or business who sells energy to another person for use at premises must have either a retailer authorisation or a retail exemption.
The AER can issue exemptions to persons or classes of persons and impose conditions on these exemptions in accordance with the Retail Exempt Selling Guideline (the Guideline).
The Guideline sets out the processes for registering and applying for retail exemptions, and outlines the various exemption classes, their eligibility criteria and exemption conditions. The Guideline also details our policy considerations when making decisions on exemption applications and on exemption classes and conditions.
From 1 January 2026, new protections commence for customers of exempt sellers who identify as being affected by family violence. The AER published guidance to assist exempt sellers to understand their obligations under version 7 of the Retail Exempt Selling Guideline. The AER has also published two printable PDF documents to accompany this guidance: one featuring case studies to illustrate how exempt sellers may meet the obligations and a quick reference guide on exempt seller responsibilities.
If this content raises concerns for you, support is available through 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.