The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) is pleased to announce that 1st Energy has recently adopted the AER’s Sustainable Payment Plans Framework (Framework). This takes the number of retailers who have signed up to the Framework to 18 retailers.
The Framework is intended to improve the quality of conversations retailers have with their customers about payment plans, while still allowing flexibility and encouraging retailers to offer extra assistance to customers. Its aim is to achieve better outcomes by helping customers and retailers agree to payment plans that are affordable and sustainable.
Under the National Energy Retail Law, energy retailers must develop, maintain and implement customer hardship policies for their residential customers. The purpose of a retailer’s customer hardship policy is to identify customers experiencing payment difficulties due to hardship and to assist those customers to better manage their energy bills on an ongoing basis.
Further information is available to customers on our Energy Made Easy and Australian Energy Regulator websites.